


We Found Love In Many Hopeless Places

by AttackOfTheBourgeoisie



Category: My Babysitter's A Vampire
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Bethan - Freeform, Boyfriends, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gay, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Slightly an alternate universe but not really, Stupidity, Supernatural - Freeform, Vampires, gay relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2020-11-28 05:33:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 92,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20961284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AttackOfTheBourgeoisie/pseuds/AttackOfTheBourgeoisie
Summary: A collection of related one-shots and drabbles surrounding the adventures of Bethan and their friends. Come along the journey as we learn how these two managed to find love in many hopeless, and pretty reckless, places.





	1. Truth Serum

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my good people.
> 
> So this little thing I wrote here was uploaded to the fanfiction cite about two years ago. But I've recently decided that I want to reconstruct most of the works I've done to make them sound better, and so I'm happier with the content I create. Since I've been on this cite much more than ff, I figured I start uploading the edited version to this collection here.
> 
> So this is going to be a collection of related one-shots, which means although each upload will be about something different, it all takes place in the same universe and on the same timeline with a very slight plot (if you squint). My initial idea behind this collection was to create a set of short stories that all coexist with each other since I rarely see that, so hopefully whoever reads this likes it as much as me. 
> 
> All major characters have been aged to 16 because it's easier to write for them when they're all the same age. Also I haven't watched this show in years so many details will either be super off or improvised.
> 
> Alright everyone. Enjoy!

“Benny! What the hell were you thinking?!”

“Well it seemed like a good idea yesterday!”

Okay. Let’s recap.

We all know Benny is basically a Doctor Strange 2.0, right? And we all know Benny has epic magical abilities that no one else (except for maybe his grandma) has, right? Right. Cool. That being said, Grandma Weir forbade him from using his powers, abilities and magical knowledge for foolish endeavors because we all know Benny can’t be trusted with any of that yet. “You’re not trained enough, nor are you responsible enough to handle your powers properly.” Grandma Weir always repeats this same line every time Benny tries to plead his case on why he’s totally responsible enough to take his powers and run like Dumbledore. I mean, how is it fair that he was blessed with powers and has the potential to do things past human comprehension, but he’s not allowed to even explore his abilities outside of his basement?

It’s straight up blasphemy.

Anyway, let’s get into exactly how everything went from totally awesome, to complete doodoo in the blink of a second.

Benny would like to say he knows a thing or two about potions (he actually knows very little about it, but don’t burst his bubble); i.e., he knows what they do, how to make them, what the ingredients are for, etc. He’s had some practice in potion making (thanks to Grandma Weir) and feels confident enough in his skills to produce a potion unsupervised.

So, what better way to prove his Potion Mastery than by testing them on his very suspicious English teacher who displays a rather uncanny resemblance to the god of the Underworld Hades? And what better way to expose “Mr. Heda” of being a diabolical evil mastermind who’s come to wreak havoc on Whitechapel than with magic, stealth, vigilance, and hardcore sex appeal?

All things Benny definitely has. And yes, the sex appeal part was necessary.

His theory is solid! He knows it! It can not be a coincidence how much the teacher likes the color blue, hates Hercules, and quotes Greek mythology on a daily basis. He even sounds like James Woods, voice actor of Hades from the 1997 Hercules movie.

Coincidence? Benny thinks not!

Benny pitched the theory to Ethan but being the annoyingly smart voice of reason in their friendship, he saw Benny’s theory as just another excuse to break Grandma Weir’s rules and make potions he’s not supposed to make. “If you think I’m going to encourage you to create a problem out of nothing just so you can mix chemicals and call yourself a scientist, you’ve got another thing coming.” Ethan had said when Benny pitched his ideas to him.

The nerve…

Astonished by Ethan and his use of reasoning against Benny’s brilliantly farfetched theory, Benny focused on formulating a plan with Rory and only Rory. The blond had completely bought into Benny’s crazy ideas without any questions or concerns, and was completely on board with whatever poorly thought out plan Benny had constructed. He didn’t bother telling Sarah or Erica because if Ethan saw through Benny’s bullshit, then Lord knows what those girls would say! Well, Erica wouldn’t care. But still!

So, here’s the breakdown of the plan.

Benny’s grandma is out of town this weekend. After many hours (days actually) of begging, she agreed to let Benny stay home by himself so long as Ethan’s parents occasionally checked in on him, and he abided by her rules (be home before 8 pm, no using the emergency credit card to buy video games, no parties, and absolutely no alcohol). All Benny must do for the next three days is make sure the house doesn’t collapse in on itself, right? Right. And while she’s gone, Benny has the perfect opportunity to go into Grandma Weir’s secret stash of potions ingredients, create a truth serum (which he’s never actually made before but there’s always a first time for everything), and then on Monday morning, while Rory distracts Mr. Heda, Benny will sneak in and pour some of the serum into the cup of coffee the teacher has every day on his desk.

Pretty simple, right? It’s fool-proof! Solid! No cracks, bumps, or chances at failure!

Except Benny’s never considered one small, minute detail: what if someone else drinks the serum instead?

Well, that’s exactly what happened.

Ethan, unbeknownst to anything going on, came by unannounced (as he usual does) while Benny was just finishing up the serum. He didn’t even bother to ring the bell. He just walked right through the door as if it’s his house. This is something they normally do, so Ethan naturally thought nothing of it. But of course, he came in right when Benny was doing the thing Ethan told him would be dumb to do. Benny knew Ethan wouldn’t have kind things to say about Benny’s obviously well thought out plan to expose Mr. Heda. That’s why in a burst of panic, Benny quickly poured the serum into an empty water bottle (in hindsight that was a really bad idea on account of the serum being clear. Much like water) and handed it to Rory so he could hide it somewhere (another bad idea because this is Rory we’re talking about).

What are the odds that Rory would hide the serum in the refrigerator in Benny’s kitchen?

And what are the odds that Ethan would go into that same refrigerator moments later looking for water, and drink the serum thinking it’s water?

Apparently, the odds are not in Benny’s favor. Just imagine the complete horror Benny felt when he came upstairs to see Ethan taking a huge gulp of the serum, only to scrunch up his face afterwards once he realized it was far from water. “What the heck is this? Did you put tequila in here or something?”

Benny quickly ran over to Ethan and grabbed the bottle. “Where did you get this?” He exclaimed, earning a puzzled look from Ethan. He specifically told Rory to hide it somewhere no one would find it. And yet somehow, Ethan Morgan had it in his hands. And was drinking from.

“Umm, in the fridge where water usually is…”

Of course.

Benny mentally face-palmed himself. That stupid vampire, he thought aggressively (if that’s even a thing). Of course Rory would mess up something as simple as hiding a bottle. Out of every place he could have possibly hid it, why the hell would he put it in the fridge? Just, why? He should have known that Rory wouldn’t be able to handle a huge responsibility like that. It’s what he gets for trusting Rory with the task of hiding a truth serum.

But keep this in mind: Benny has never created something as powerful as a truth serum before. Brewing a truth serum is far more advanced than his level of training, so he could have done it completely wrong. Plus, even the slightest of mistakes can make the truth serum ineffective. So, Benny’s not even sure if what he made will work or not. In fact, for all he knows he could have just made a useless drink filled with ingredients that are probably not good for digestion.

Only one way to find out.

“Hey Ethan,” Benny started innocently, “remember that girl you said you made out with at camp that one year?” Make-out girl was a story Ethan retold time after time after time about a beautiful brunette he met at camp once who was completely all over him and kissed him one night after hours. Benny knew it was made up though. There was no mystery girl that Ethan made out with behind the huge oak tree near the pond at around midnight when everyone else was asleep. He made it up to seem cooler for whatever reason. And Benny knows it’s fake because Benny went to that same exact camp. They shared a cabin for crying out loud! The only thing Ethan made out with was his pillow! But no matter how many times he was called out on it, Ethan never admitted to the story being a fib.

But if the truth serum works, he’ll be squealing like a pig.

Benny didn’t have to wait too long for Ethan’s answer. “That story was never true.” Ethan said calmly as he opened the fridge for some actual water, not realizing what he’s saying. “I made that story up because—” and in an instant, Ethan slammed the fridge shut and clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide in shock after his words caught up to him. He turned to look at Benny for an explanation, knowing all too well that he had something to do with his sudden confession.

Benny just sheepishly smiled as he attempted to back away.

“Benny what did you do?” Ethan glowered, the anger and annoyance visible on his face.

Benny let out a nervous laugh. “Well, uhh at least we know the truth serum works!”

* * *

So now, thirty minutes later, we’re in the present.

After very aggressively and effectively cursing both Benny and Rory out in both English and French (which Ethan rarely speaks), Ethan called Sarah who called Erica, and now the whole gang is gathered in Benny’s basement looking like a cheerful bunch.

You don’t believe that either, right? Yeah, things aren’t looking too pretty.

“So, let me get this straight.” Erica drawls from her perch atop a couple crates, using a bookshelf as a very uncomfortable backrest. “You thought that your crappy, depressing, incompetent, dork of a teacher was Hades, god of the underworld. And you proceeded to create a truth serum so you could somehow drug him into a confession.” Her tone is condescending. She doesn’t even try to hide her lack of interest. Normally she wouldn’t even be here entertaining the nonsense, especially on a weekend. But she’s been bored all day, so why not enjoy the free source of entertainment.

Benny looks at Rory meekly. Now that he hears it coming from someone else, he can see how outlandish it all sounds. “Yeah pretty much.

Erica shrugs. “Ehh. Not your dumbest moment. Solid six out of ten if you ask me.”

“Hey, thanks!” Rory cheerily pipes in, earning an eyeroll from Erica and a glare from Benny.

Benny sighs as he looks to Ethan who’s sitting on an old couch probably planning Benny’s death. “How you holding up, E?”

“Well let’s see,” Ethan looks up at Benny and oh if looks could kill, “I just drank some truth serum because my idiot best friends decided now was the right time to become Severus Snape, and now I have no filter and I can potentially be a danger to myself and all of you. How do you think I’m holding up?!”

“Maybe a solid nine out of ten.” Rory doesn’t have enough time to duck before Benny’s hand connects with the back of his head.

Ethan looks just about ready to explode. “I swear, if you weren’t a vampire I would…, I would…” Ethan’s face scrunches up like he’s struggling to say what he wants to say and is trying to stop himself form saying something he doesn’t mean… or rather does mean but doesn’t want to actually say. “I would do nothing because I’m not a violent person and I’ll probably forgive you really soon.” He lets it all out in one breath and pants.

Erica snorts. Rory smiles brightly. Benny gives Ethan an apologetic look which he returns with a glower. “Fix this!” he seethes.

“Honestly what were you two thinking?!” Sarah roars, causing Benny to wince and take a few steps away from her. “Do you have any idea what you two could have done? Or were you too wrapped up in your stupid schemes to realize how completely insane and dangerous this is?! You could have killed Ethan! Or turned him into… I don’t know. A snake, or something!”

“Sounds like a typically Tuesday to me.” Erica shrugs. “Can’t say I’m flabbergasted. These three bird-brained idiots do all kinds of half planned shit, I’m surprised they haven’t set themselves on fire yet. This actually pales in comparison to the other senseless things they’ve done.”

“Uhh, it’s actually Saturday.” Rory pipes in, earning equal dirty looks from everyone in the room (does he take the cue to shut his mouth? No). “Blondes.” He snorts as he elbows Benny. “Am I right?”

“I will literally rip out your tongue.” Erica deadpans. Rory visibly shrinks in on himself.

Sarah sighs exasperatedly. She loves Ethan, Benny, and Rory, and will go to the ends of the Earth for them. But honestly why is it that they can’t be left alone for five minutes without them doing something irresponsible? Why are they always getting themselves into some extravagant mess that needed her assistance in fixing? She would like to enjoy one Saturday without receiving the SOS text, or the panicked call.

“Alright,” she says as she pinches the bridge of her nose. “I don’t care how you do it, but you’re going to fix this and you’re going to fix this now.” She points a finger at Benny similar to how a mother points a finger at a disobedient child. “Or I’m going to call Grandma Weir and tell her all about your crazy Hades exposé operation.”

Benny gasps. “You wouldn’t! If grandma finds out about this she’ll never leave me alone for the weekend again! Hell, she won’t even let me use magic again!”

Sarah crosses her arms. “Not my problem. Nobody told you to do this in the first place. Either find a solution or suffer the consequences.”

Benny grumbles something under his breath about insufferable vampires and their bossiness, to which Sarah angrily hisses at him, causing him to jump into Rory’s arms while screaming.

Ethan would laugh if it weren’t for how upset he is.

“Guys,” Ethan starts, panic in his voice, “what if we can’t fix this? What if there’s no cure and I’m stuck telling the truth and only the truth forever?”

“Hey, come on E.” Benny says reassuringly. “Just relax. We’re going to figure it out.”

The look Ethan gives Benny makes him eat his words.

“Relax?!” Ethan yells, standing up causing Benny to shrink. “How am I supposed to relax when I don’t have a filter anymore and anything I say can put us in a hellhole?! Did you forget that three of our friends are vampires?!” He gestures to Sarah, Erica, and Rory. “What’s gonna happen if I accidently spill the beans on what they really are?”

Benny runs his hands through his hair in frustration. How did this end so badly? “Alright, alright. Listen, we’re going to fix this, okay? Maybe if we all look through some of the books my grandma has down here we’ll figure something out.”

“Um, no, you’re going to look through the books.” Ethan shoves one of Grandma Weir’s spell books into his chest. “I’m the victim here so what I’m going to do is go upstairs and…” come on, come on, think of something to say! Ethan pleads with his mouth to say anything but what it wants to say. He begs his mind to come up with something less humiliating than what he’s really thinking. But alas, the truth serum has won the battle because he hears himself say, “And try not to cry because I’m actually really scared right now.” Fucking hell…

Erica snorts again. “Ooh, I’m scared now.”

Grumbling, Ethan stomps all the way up the stairs and slams the door behind him, the sound echoing throughout the basement.

Benny looks around at his friends with sorrowful eyes. To say he regrets everything is an understatement. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone, let alone his best friend even if it was just an accident. And now Ethan’s mad at him. And Ethan rarely gets mad. Benny wishes he never came up with the stupid plan or theory to begin with.

“Will you guys please help me?” He asks his friends with a small voice.

Sarah drops her angered demeanor at Benny’s downfallen one. Maybe they’re being a little too hard on him. He didn’t mean to hurt Ethan. Was he using his head? No. But at least his intentions weren’t bad. Mostly. “Yes of course.” Benny smiles at her. “But only because nobody want’s Ethan to walk around as an open book. The faster we come up with an antidote, the better.”

And with that, they begin the tedious job of flipping through every spell book, potions book, and magical theory book they could find. They sat in the quiet of the basement (even Rory was quiet) flipping through pages and pages of magic books to no avail. Even Erica alternated between reading and scrolling through her Instagram. They spend a little over an hour thoroughly searching but coming up with nothing.

“This book doesn’t even make sense.” Rory says some point. “Half of it is in Latin, and the other half is in some kind of weird English. How are we supposed to find a cure if I can’t even understand what the freaking book says?!”

“I’m pretty sure you can’t understand a Dr. Seuss book.” Erica doesn’t look up from the book she’s skimming through.

“Hey, Green Eggs and Ham is one of my favorite novels!”

Yup. A superb weekend.

In all honesty, Benny can’t seem to concentrate too well. His mind keeps drifting off to the boy sitting somewhere upstairs probably fuming at Benny right now. He’s never seen Ethan this mad before, especially at him. And Benny isn’t the easiest friend to deal with he knows that for sure. He’s always been the annoying kid that Ethan’s had to deal with since they were kids. This is the first time Benny has done something so bad that he’s afraid of losing his friendship with the smaller boy.

That’s one of the things Benny values most in his life. His friendship with Ethan. More than video games, comics, spells, and magic. More than anything else he can think of. He’d give all of that up if it meant keeping Ethan in his life and keeping him happy. He hates himself for nearly spoiling something he holds so close to his heart, all for some stupid scheme he didn’t fully think through. He just really hopes he didn’t screw things up too bad, and that Ethan will find it in himself to forgive him.

He wonders if his hidden feelings for the raven-haired boy has anything to do with his sadness. Yes, okay, he admits it. He’s had this stubborn crush on his best friend for as long as he can remember. Okay it’s more than a crush. He’s pretty sure he’s in love with Ethan even though he’s afraid to admit it to himself. It’s not easy to admit that you love your best friend in more than a platonic way, especially if said best friend happens to be the same gender as you and extremely straight.

Benny hasn’t had the courage to tell anyone about his feelings. How do you just casually bring up that you might be gay, and that you also feel like melting every time your best friend smiles your way? He’s doesn’t even know whether he’s gay or not, or how to label himself yet. The only thing he knows for certain is that what he feels for Ethan he’s never felt for anyone else before. And he’s felt this way for a very long time. And it kills him to see Ethan ogle at Sarah and other girls all the time because he wishes it was him Ethan was ogling at. Regardless, Benny wants his best friend to be happy, even if it means keeping his feelings to himself until the day he dies.

“I’ve got it!”

Benny nearly falls of the table he’s sitting on at the sudden outburst. He looks at a triumphant Sarah. “I’ve found an antidote!”

Benny, Rory, and Erica surround her as she reads the ingredients for the antidote. It looks simple enough to make except for the fact that they don’t have one ingredient: goose beaks.

“Wait.” Benny narrows his eyes at the fine print under the potion instructions. “What’s that?”

Sarah reads, “An alternative antidote to the Truth Serum is for the recipient to disclose his or her deepest kept secret to at least one other person.”

“So why don’t we just make Ethan tell us his deepest secret and then boom, he’s cured?” Rory asks.

Benny shakes his head. “Easier said than done. Ethan’s tight lipped when it comes to secrets. If he has one he won’t want to tell anyone, especially if it’s an embarrassing secret.”

“Well, you’re his best friend Benny.” Sarah points out. “He tells you everything. Maybe you can try getting it out of him. I’m sure he’ll tell you if he knew it’ll cure him.”

Benny considers this. He trusts Ethan with his life, and vice versa. If Ethan were to tell anyone about some huge secret of his, he would tell Benny. He’s sure of it. “Okay. I’ll go find him and try to persuade him.”

Sarah closes the book. “And I’m going to try and find some goose beaks just in case we need it.” The two begin heading up stairs when—

“Wait!” Erica’s shrill voice stops them in their tracks. “You’re going to leave me alone with him?!” She jabs a thumb at Rory who’s more than pleased to be left alone with the blonde. He’s so giddy he’s almost drooling.

“It’s only for a few minutes.” Sarah promises. “I’ll be back soon. Just… try not to rip his head off.”

Rory wiggles his eyebrows at Erica who groans in disgust before flopping backwards on the couch.

Benny doesn’t wait to hear Sarah’s response to her blonde best friend. He wastes no time bounding the stairs two at a time to find Ethan. He’s not surprised to find the smaller boy in Benny’s room playing Mortal Kombat 11. He doesn’t look up or acknowledge Benny when he walks in (Benny’s not sure if it’s because he’s engrossed in the game or because Ethan’s deliberately ignoring Benny).

Benny closes the door behind him. “H-hey Ethan.”

“Hey,” Ethan mumbles, his eyes never leaving the game.

“I have good news.” Benny tries, but Ethan still doesn’t look at him. “We’ve figured out how to counteract the truth serum.”

“And…?” He’s eyes are still fixated on the game.

Ethan has never given Benny the cold shoulder this badly before. Why is this making him so upset? “Well, there are two options. We can either make you another potion that will act as an antidote. Sarah just went out to find the missing ingredient.”

“What’s the second option?” Ethan’s voice remains flat.

“If you tell someone your biggest secret, it will also counteract the effects of the serum.”

That must have did the trick or flipped some switch in the teen. Ethan nearly drops the game controller at Benny’s words. He fumbles with the controller and hits pause. “I have to do what?” He finally looks at Benny.

“Tell someone your biggest secret to deactivate the serum.”

“Are-are you sure that’s the only way?”

Benny is surprised at the level of anxiety in Ethan’s voice. “It’s the fastest way. Sarah went out to get an ingredient for the potion, but she might not be able to find it. And even if she does, it could take a while to make it. But if you just say your biggest secret, then it will all be over in a snap.” He snaps his fingers for emphasis.

He doesn’t understand though. He knew Ethan wouldn’t be happy about disclosing his secret to anyone, but he didn’t expect for him to react like this. Ethan has become somewhat of a nervous wreck, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, getting red in the face, and breathing heavily.

“S-so who am I, uhh, who am I supposed to tell the secret to?” he sputters.

Benny gestures to himself with furrowed eyebrows. “Me. Duh. I’m your best friend. You can trust me with anything.”

Ethan gives the green-eyed boy a very unconvincing smile. “Thanks Benny but I-I think I’ll just wait for the potion.”

“What? Why?” Benny takes a step toward Ethan and he responds by moving over on the bed. “Ethan it would be so much easier and faster if you just spill the beans. I promise I won’t judge you on it even if it’s embarrassing.”

“I, um,” Ethan gulps. “I-I know you won’t judge me but, uhh, seriously it’s okay. Really. I can wait a little longer to be cured. I, uh, I don’t think it’s a good idea for secrets to come out.” Please leave it alone! Please leave it alone!

“But why?” Benny asks, but regrets it right after when he sees the struggle on Ethan’s face and remembers that the teen is currently an open book and has no control over what he says.

Ethan bites his bottom lip in an attempt to keep his mouth shut. But he feels the words pushing hard to spill and his willpower decreasing. Finally, he blurts, “I like someone, but I don’t want to tell you or anyone who it is!”

Benny rolls his eyes. “Ethan I already know you like Sarah—”

“It’s not Sarah!”

Benny stares at his best friend. Not Sarah? Since their freshman year, Ethan’s had a huge crush (slight obsession) over the vampire. And who could blame him? Sarah’s beautiful. She has guys tripping over their toes for her everywhere she goes. And she inevitably had the same effect on Ethan. Or so Benny thought.

“But,” Benny starts, “but I thought you liked—”

“Sarah was just a cover up!” Ethan’s mouth is moving and his eyes grow wide in horror as more of what he wants to avoid saying spills out. “I never liked her. She was always a cover up for the person I really like because—” Ethan rubs his face in frustration. “Please don’t make me say anything else.”

“Wait,” Benny starts, trying his best to wrap his head around what Ethan’s saying. “But why couldn’t you tell me about who this person is? I mean, I’m supposed to be your best friend. Why would you lie to me about this out of all people?” Benny’s not sure whether he’s upset because Ethan lied to him, or because Ethan likes yet another person that’s not Benny. Either way his chest feels tighter than it should.

Ethan shakes his head rigorously. He moves again on the bed, away from Benny. “I’m sorry Benny but I really couldn’t tell you. You wouldn’t understand—”

“Why wouldn’t I understand?” Benny exclaims, making Ethan jump. He feels like he’s overreacting, but he’s finding it hard to cover up the hurt he’s feeling. “Seriously Ethan? After all these years of being best friends and you don’t trust me with something like this? Are you kidding me?”

Ethan moves over on the bed until his back hits the headboard. “Benny, I-I do trust you. But, but I couldn’t—”

“But you obviously don’t if you can’t even tell me who it is now to break the stupid truth serum!”

“Benny,” Ethan pleads, sweat building on his forehead. “Benny please! I-i-it’s just a really complicated situation…”

“What, too complicated for your idiot best friend to understand?” Benny’s mouth is vomiting words faster than he can think of them.

Ethan shakes his head. “No! That’s not what it is Benny! I just…” he falters.

Benny crosses his arms. “So then why can’t you tell me who your crush is on?”

Tears well up in Ethan’s brown eyes. “Because I’m scared.” His voice cracks.

If Benny wasn’t confused before, the fear behind Ethan’s eyes definitely has him confused now. “Scared of what E?” Ethan just closes his eyes and shakes his head. Benny tries not to be frustrated anymore because of the sadness written all over Ethan’s face.

“That you’ll hate me,” Ethan squeezes his eyes shut as a tear rolls down his cheek, “because… because it’s you.”

Ethan says it so softly that Benny almost misses it. But he drops his arms as his heart skips about 5 beats. He resists the urge to slap his face to make sure he’s not stuck in a dream.

“Fuck.” Ethan breathes in frustration. There’s a long pause before he continues as tears fall from his eyes. “M-my biggest secret is th-that I have feelings for—” he sucks in a breath but it sounds more like a sob, “for you. I-I have feelings for you. And I’ve had them since… I don’t know. Since f-forever I guess. B-but I didn’t want to tell you because there’s just no possible way you’d like me back since, y’know, you’re straight and everything, and I’ve just always felt so s-stupid because out of all people I had to fall for, it had to be my best friend. A-and I’ve just been s-scared that if I said anything I’d freak you out and l-lose you, and I-I don’t want to lose you because you’re my best friend and the most important person in my life, and now you probably hate me—”

“Ethan, no. Stop.” Benny snaps out of his stupor and sits on the bed next to Ethan who looks at him throw teary brown eyes. “I don’t hate you, okay?”

“You don’t?” Ethan sniffs.

Benny shakes his head. “I could never hate you. No matter what happens in life I’ll never hate you, and I’ll never leave you. You’re just as important to me as I am to you.”

“B-b-but,” Ethan’s bottom lip continues to tremble, “you don’t think it’s weird? That I’m your best friend, and I’m a guy, and I like you?”

Benny chuckles nervously. “I guess it would be pretty hypocritical of me if I did.” The words leave his mouth without much of a second thought. Benny looks down at his lap as his cheeks turn a bright scarlet. For some reason he’s afraid of how Ethan will react to his confession even though he’s the one who confessed first. After a few seconds, Benny finally looks up to meet Ethan’s wide, red rimmed eyes. How are they still so beautiful?

“What?” Now Ethan feels like slapping himself because there’s no way Benny just said what he thinks he just said.

“I, um,” Benny clears his throat as his voice cracks, “I also really, really like my best friend.” Benny moves his hand to where Ethan’s is resting on the bed. He grabs it gently. “But I’ve been keeping it to myself because I was afraid of scaring him away. And I also didn’t want to lose him, because having him in my life gives me something to look forward to every day. And I also thought he was very straight.” Benny smirks at Ethan.

Ethan chuckles, a sound Benny has always cherished. “You, you really mean it?”

Benny nods. “Every word.”

Ethan smiles, his tear stained cheeks sporting a pink tinge to match Benny’s. They both alternate between looking at each other and look at their laps. Benny’s hand still grasps the back of Ethan’s as the silence drags on. There’s so much more to be said, be neither boy knows where to start.

Finally, Ethan speaks. “I’ve always imagined what I’d do or say if I ever found out you felt the same way, but my mind is drawing a blank now.”

“Does that mean I make you speechless?” Benny teases.

Ethan laughs. “Don’t ruin it.”

“Sorry.”

“So,” Ethan bites on his bottom lip, “what happens now?” They obviously can’t just go back to being platonic best friends. Not after all these confessions. At least, Ethan doesn’t want to go back to that. But how does this whole thing work? How do they transition to being more than friends?

Benny seems to answer all of this with one simple question. “Can… can I kiss you?”

It’s only now that Ethan notices Benny’s been glancing at his lips. Ethan’s been doing it too subconsciously. His heart does a whole backflip at the question. He’s only ever dreamed of what it would be like to have Benny’s lips connect with his own. Now that the opportunity has shown itself, Ethan has no idea what to do or how to handle it.

He decides to simply nod because he can’t trust his voice just yet.

Benny shifts closer to Ethan, his heart pounding against his ribcage. Their eyes never leave each other’s gaze, green against brown. They’re both in each other’s space now, mere inches apart. They’ve been this close before, closer in fact. But it’s different now that they know what they know. It’s different now that there’s a chance things between them can be more than what it’s been. It’s different now that they’ve been given the opportunity to explore what can happen if they decide to take that next step.

Benny knows it’s different when he slowly cups Ethan’s cheeks and sparks travel from his fingertips all the way to his elbows. Ethan knows it’s different when a soft sigh escapes his lips as Benny wipes away the last of his tears with his thumbs. The touch is so warm, so tender. He can’t believe he’s been starved of it for so long.

Finally, Benny leans forward and presses his lips against Ethan’s.

And they both can’t believe they’ve been starved of this for so long.

The kiss is soft at first. Just a safe, simple touch of lips against lips, neither boy knowing if or how to take it up a notch. Both far too afraid to do so. And who can blame them? They’re two highly inexperienced boys (who up until now were platonic friends) kissing for the first time after confessing they like each other. Not to mention this is both of their first kisses (sans a small peck on the lips Benny shared with one of the girls in his preschool class). So it’s perfectly normal for them to feel just the slightest bit awkward at the feeling of a new pair of lips against their own.

They pull apart after a few seconds, a light tingle left behind on both their lips. Their hearts flutter as they blink their eyes open and brown meets green again. And for some reason, staring into those eyes has a different effect on Benny than it did just a few seconds ago. Staring into them fills him with an intense feeling of desire, and leaves him feeling like he wants those eyes to consume him completely, like a fire whose purpose isn’t to burn but to quench a deep and everlasting thirst.

It’s all of this, plus the mirrored expression Ethan is giving him, that guides Benny in his next moves. His hand cups the back of Ethan’s neck and he brings Ethan’s face to his own, capturing his lips again. Ethan quickly melts into the kiss as Benny deepens it, doing his best to communicate everything he’s ever felt for Ethan with just his lips. Ethan seems to understand, or maybe they’re both in golden euphoria, or maybe Benny’s just a damn good kisser, because Ethan responds eagerly, drinking up Benny’s fire as fast as Benny drinks up his. Ethan’s arms snake around Benny’s waist and pull him closer so that they’re chest to chest. Benny lightly sucks on Ethan’s bottom lip and the sound that creeps out of Ethan’s throat does many things to Benny that he’s never felt or experienced before, and it both delights and scares him because it makes him want to deepen the kiss more so he can hear Ethan make the sound again and he wants to be closer to Ethan and feel closer to Ethan and he just can’t get over the feeling of wanting more.

And it’s the cheesiest thing in the world to say, but the entire experience feels like thousands of fireworks being set off all around them, their pretty colors falling all over Ethan and Benny. The euphoria buzzes around them, and it’s the most intoxicating feeling either boy has ever experienced. It’s so much better than either of them could have imagined or dreamed of. The sensation of Ethan’s lips sends tingles down Benny’s spin into the tips of his toes. Benny can kiss him for the rest of his life if he has to because kissing Ethan is like kissing something sweet and delicate, but at the same time firm and full. It’s like kissing red velvet. It feels like how red velvet feels, taste like how red velvet tastes.

Reality pokes itself at Benny and Ethan’s happy little bubble when Benny’s phone rings and vibrates from his back pocket. He reluctantly pulls apart from Ethan, both of them breathing heavily after the incredible experience they just had. Benny fishes his phone from his pocket with all intentions of sending the call straight to voicemail, but the name on the caller I.D. puts a break in his plans.

It’s Sarah.

The whole day comes back to him in a rush. The truth serum. Ethan drinking it. Yelling and cursing and an angered Ethan. Trying to find a solution. Sarah going out for goose beaks for the antidote, which was the entire reason Benny was here in the first place.

Benny answers. “H-hello.”

“Hey. Any luck on getting Ethan to tell you whatever secret he has?” She asks. “The place Grandma Weir usually gets her ingredients from is out of stock for the next week, and they want to know if I should rush order a batch.”

“Uhh hang on.” Benny pulls the phone away from his ear and mutes it. “Quick! Ethan lie about something!”

Ethan, who’s still panting past his reddened lips, furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Okay. I made out with a girl one year behind the big oak tree at camp—” Ethan stops mid-sentence as his jaw drops. He just lied. He just lied without difficulty.

It worked. The truth serums effects were broken. Ethan is cured.

“Thank god.” Benny sighs with relief before unmuting Sarah. “We’re all good here Sarah. Ethan’s been cured. You can come back now.”

“Alright. I’m on my way.”

Benny hangs up the phone. “I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am this entire truth serum thing is over.”

Ethan snorts. “Says the guy who made it and drugged me in the first.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault Rory hid it in the fridge. Of all please, the fucking fridge.”

“Who’s the one that told him to hide it in the first place?”

Benny falters. “You got me there, E.” They laugh, the atmosphere so much lighter than it was when Benny first entered the room. “You wanna head back downstairs?”

Ethan eyes Benny rather suggestively (when the hell did he learn to do that?!) before shaking his head. “Not really.”

“Yeah, me either.” Benny sighs. “But I kind of left Erica and Rory alone in the basement so…”

“You left Rory and Erica alone? In a confined room?” Ethan gasps. “Have you lost your mind?”

“In my defense, desperate times called for desperate measures. Unless you wanted to confess your undying love for me to Rory of all people.” Ethan shoves him as Benny laughs at his own joke. Ethan can’t help but chuckle as well because he’s right. The last person Ethan would ever want to have this talk with is Rory.

Benny presses his lips against Ethan’s one last time, both boys smiling into the kiss. They pull apart after a few seconds and finally leave the room. They make their way back to the basement, and soon after Sarah comes back to find Benny and Ethan floating on some type of high. She doesn’t question it or what they discussed. She’s just happy that they can move on from that portion, as are the rest of them.

So yeah, the day started out pretty bad. Started out pretty ugly to be exact. But somehow, it turned around for Ethan and Benny, and now they’re finally getting the chance to be happy with each other.

And right now, that’s more than enough for them.


	2. Scary Movie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this one two years ago when "It" came out without having seen the movie. But since I've seen the movie and it is now two years later, I had to make some adjustments to make it 2019 prevalent.
> 
> Also, there are some "It" spoilers.

“Are you sure you want to watch this movie? It’s not too late to choose something else.”

“Yes, Benny I’m positive. I don’t think it’s going to be that scary anyways.”

Benny succeeds in stopping the microwave at exactly 0:01, right before it starts making that incredibly annoying beeping sound (a skill he’s gotten really good at doing). He carefully takes the bag of popcorn out of the microwave without burning himself and empties the contents into the plastic bowl on the counter. “Well everyone I’ve talked to said that ‘It’ is one of the scariest movies they’ve seen in a while. Sarah and Erica saw it and they almost cried. And that’s saying a lot because they’re, y’know, vampires.”

“I think I can handle it.” Ethan emerges from inside his fridge holding two bottles of cherry Coke, and places them on the counter. “Besides, clowns don’t scare me. What’s so scary about a guy who performs mediocre tricks at kid’s parties and makes balloon animals?”

“Maybe one that eats kids for fun.” Benny mutters. He’s not sure what’s changed or gotten into him, but all Ethan has been talking about for the past few weeks is how much he’s dying to see ‘It Chapter 2’. It’s strange since he didn’t show any interest when the first one came out two years ago, but trailers started coming out, fan theories started popping up, and out of nowhere Ethan decided his mission was to see IT Chapter’s 1 and 2 or he’d never be happy again. Benny has a funny feeling Ethan’s sudden interest has something to do with certain members of the cast (Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Jaeden Martell and Bill Skarsgård specifically). But nonetheless, Ethan declared earlier in the week that Friday would be a movie night, and they would be watching the 2017 ‘It’ so he could be ready for ‘It Chapter 2’.

Despite everyone telling him if he wants to continue living a comfortable life without the constant fear of clowns, he would stay miles away from anything regarding Pennywise the clown, Ethan is persistent. He’s going to see this movie no matter what anyone says, and he’s going to like it.

Besides, he’s pretty sure everyone is overreacting.

Plus, the reviews seem to be pretty good, and Ethan isn’t opposed to watching a good movie, even if it is “horrifying”.

“Ethan, I know you.” Benny says. “You think you can handle a movie, but then you end up getting nightmares for a week and calling me in the middle of the night because you can’t sleep. Remember ‘Paranormal Activity’?”

Ethan winces at the name of the movie. ‘Paranormal Activity’ is the only movie he regrets ever going to see. He remembers all too well how excited he was to see the over enthused (and over advertised) movie, only to leave the movie theater shaking and near tears. He couldn’t sleep for a full week after that because he was sure a demonic thing was somewhere in his closet ready to kill him, and he was jumpy around everyone and everything. Benny had to pull an all-nighter with him twice because he was too afraid to be left alone in his own room. To this day, he still occasionally gets nightmares of haunted children and being possessed by angry dead people.

“Okay in my defense,” Ethan says, crossing his arms, “I was only twelve when we saw that, and was nowhere near the man I am now.”

Benny snorts and rolls his eyes. If Ethan’s a man then Benny is Thor, god of thunder.

“What?” Ethan responds to Benny’s cheeky smile. “I am a man now.”

Benny steps towards Ethan who’s now leaning against the kitchen island. “Sure, you are babe.” He casually pecks Ethan on the lips causing the small boy’s cheeks to turn scarlet. “Sure, you are.” He ruffles Ethan’s messy hair before grabbing the popcorn and heading to the living room.

Benny and Ethan have been dating for a good two weeks now. And although it’s been the best two weeks of both of their lives, everything is still relatively new to them. Both teens have never been in a relationship before and both feel like they’re wearing training wheels as they try to figure out the do’s and don’ts, and the ins and outs of being in a relationship. It’s slowly becoming easier and more natural to them as they allow instinct and intuition to guide them (in any other situation this would be a bad idea) and once they stop overthinking everything.

It’s not easy transitioning from being best friends with someone for your whole life to dating them, especially since everything suddenly changes. Certain things become acceptable to say or do or feel, while others make everything feel awkward. Those feelings and urges you were so used to suppressing are now something you can do on the regular. Some moments that used to feel normal are now awkward, while other moments that were awkward now seem insanely hot (they were always hot though). It’s all so different now, but despite all the weird and awkward moments, Benny and Ethan know it’s for the better.

Besides, what relationship isn’t a little awkward at first?

If anything, it feels like one giant step above the friendship they had before. Ethan can still confide in Benny the way they did before, and vice versa. They can still talk about everything under the sun without long uncomfortable silences. Just now they did that with more physical contact and intimate moments. And they can outwardly acknowledge the fact that they like each other.

Neither one of them have told anyone about it. That might be the only obstacle in this. Neither boy is out of the closet yet, and both are still not sure what they classify themselves as either. As far as everyone else can tell, they’re still the two best friends who were always doing stupid things because they sometimes display symptoms of ADHD (Benny more than Ethan). And for now, they’ll be keeping it that way.

They’ll come out when they’re ready though. Eventually.

Ethan follows Benny into the living room with the sodas. Benny’s already sprawled out on the couch, his too tall frame taking up the entire space. Ethan sees this and scowls. “Can you move your legs so I can sit?”

Benny gestures to himself in the most provocative (and slightly disturbing) way. It actually looks more ridiculous than provocative. “Why don’t you just lay down with me? Hmm?”

Ethan blushes for the second time but rolls his eyes. “Benny I’m not watching the movie in that position.”

Benny places a hand on his heart in mock hurt. “But why? Am I not good enough of a cuddle buddy for you?”

“You’re a buffoon.”

“I’m your buffoon though.”

Benny laughs at the exasperated look on Ethan’s face as he shoves his legs of the couch, immediately making more room. He shifts so he’s now sitting up with his arm resting on the back of the couch. Ethan plops into the spot right under Benny’s arm and grabs the Amazon Fire Stick on the coffee table, handing it to Benny. “You know how to work this right?”

“Of course! They don’t call me the tech king for nothing!”

“Nobody calls you that.”

Benny pouts. Ethan chuckles and pecks his cheek (which feels far less awkward and much more fluid than it did two weeks ago), and Benny starts search for the movie using the Fire Stick that Ethan still hasn’t figured out how to work. “How long have your parents had this thing again?”

“A few months.”

“And what’s your excuse for not learning how to use it?”

Ethan lightly elbows him in the ribs. “Hey, it’s not as easy as people think it is! The last time I tried using it I almost gave my T.V. a virus.”

Benny drapes his outstretched arm over Ethan’s shoulders and pulls the brown eyed boy closer to him. “Don’t worry E. I’ll teach you one day.” Ethan leans into him, getting comfortable against Benny’s warm side.

It’s moments like this that Ethan has been enjoying the most. These small intimate moments they have together. He swears he could live in these moments for the rest of his life. Being able to cuddle under Benny is the main reason Ethan wanted to have a movie night with him anyway. Yes, he wants to watch ‘It’, but not as much as he wants to be held in Benny’s arms and feel the warm beating of his steady heart. And to top it off, his parents will be out all night and Jane is at a friend’s house, so they can be as cute and intimate and as close as they want without any sudden interruptions.

Ethan is so looking forward to it.

Finally, Benny finds the desired movie. He doesn’t press play right away. Instead, he turns to Ethan. “This is your last call. If you want to watch something else, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

“Benny just play the fucking movie already!”

Benny mutters a “fine” under his breath and hits play. The screen darkens for a second before the beginning of the movie starts. Ethan is nearly bouncing with excitement. Benny chuckles at the happiness buzzing off of Ethan. Oh, what he would do to make sure Ethan is this happy for the rest of their lives.

The first scene begins to play, and Ethan grabs a handful of popcorn from the bowl in Benny’s lap. This might possibly be the best idea he’s ever had.

* * *

This is the worst idea he’s ever had.

Only an hour into the movie and Ethan is already regretting everything. Picking the movie, asking for a movie night, the Fire Stick, his existence. He regrets it all.

Everything was all fine and dandy when the movie first started. Ethan was still a ball of joy at the beginning. Then everything went to shit when Pennywise appeared in the sewer and Ethan nearly jumped out of his skin. He doesn’t know why. He knew that was going to happen from the trailers. He should’ve expected that. And it wasn’t even that scary once the shock of the jump scare wore off. Then the psychotic clown bites off Georgie’s arm and drags him into the sewer and well Ethan can very much say he stopped enjoying the moving from that point forward.

And it just keeps getting worse as every little thing makes Ethan jump or flinch. From Stan’s fear literally coming to life before his eyes as the painting, to Bev’s bathroom getting covered in blood. The plot in itself is great and well thought out, but at the same time it’s scaring the living daylights out of Ethan, and every inch of him wants to stop the movie and hide in his room away from scary child cannibalistic clowns.

Benny knows Ethan is scared. He himself is quite frightened, but he has a higher tolerance of scary things due to his fathers’ love for horror films (that and he’s already seen all three versions of ‘It’, but don’t tell Ethan). The gore and jump scares aren’t affecting him that much, and he honestly feels pretty relaxed. So relaxed that he may fall asleep. But Ethan on the other hand is scared shitless, and Benny can feel it. The teen stopped eating the popcorn maybe 45 minutes ago, and his body has been tensed and trembling. The petrified expression on his face is also a huge give away. Benny isn’t surprised. He knew Ethan wouldn’t be able to handle a movie this intense. He fights the urge to whisper I told you so into his ear. Ethan wanted so badly to watch this movie despite Benny’s warnings, but Benny still wishes he put his foot down and told Ethan there’s no way he could handle watching it.

He leans closer to Ethan’s ear (which makes him jump). “Do you want to stop the movie?” He whispers.

The look on Ethan’s face screams ‘yes’ but he shakes his head anyways. “N-no. Don’t stop it. I want to keep watching.” That’s the biggest lie he’s ever told in his life, but he’s not about to admit to Benny that he’s terrified and wants to watch something milder like a Disney movie. He knows he’s being extremely petty, but after being so adamant about it, he wants to finish it and prove that he can and will finish watching a horror movie.

But he knows in his fast beating heart that he can’t.

Benny hates seeing Ethan like this. He wants to just turn off the movie and call it a night instead of sitting here while Ethan has ten heart attacks. But he knows how stubborn Ethan is. His mind is dead set on watching ‘It’ in its entirety, despite how scared he is. It’s his version of proving some type of point, more to himself than anyone else. Oh. how Benny wishes Ethan would take his head out his ass and just listen to the voice of reason.

All he does is pull Ethan closer to him, which somehow relaxes him a bit even though he’s still shaking. They still have a little bit over an hour to go before the movie is over.

This is going to be a long night…

* * *

And it is an exceptionally long night as Ethan has graduated from jumping in his seat to hiding his face in Benny’s chest while squeezing Benny’s hand painfully hard. Benny wants the movie to be over more so that he can get the feeling back in his hand.

Thankfully there’s only about 20 minutes or so left.

The Losers Club has just entered the Neibolt house to find Bev, and Mike is fighting of Henry Bower’s. Ethan looks just about ready to cry. He’s all but clinging to Benny for dear life and although Benny enjoys the closeness, Ethan is also starting to suffocate him because he’s squeezing too hard. And then Stan’s fear presents itself to him yet again as the lady from the painting (in sort of a comical way if you ask Benny), and Ethan simultaneously screams and jumps while still clinging to Benny and the whole thing would be really funny if it weren’t for the rib crushing grip around his abdomen.

Benny wonders if Ethan would notice if he casually fast forwarded the movie.

And finally, the end credits roll up the screen.

Thank goodness, Benny thinks as he disentangles himself from a frozen Ethan and reaches for the Fire Stick to stop the movie. “Well, that was a bit anticlimactic if you ask me. I was expecting them to at least behead the clown, but I guess they had to set us up for the sequel somehow.” He turns to the still frozen Ethan whose eyes are glazed over with fear. He nudges the teen lightly. “E, are you okay?”

Ethan yelps and jumps again, frantic eyes landing on Benny’s green orbs as if just realizing he’s there. “What? Oh, uh, yeah. I’m fine. I’m just going to, uh, take this into the kitchen…” He grabs the half full popcorn bowl and scurries off. Benny shakes his head and grabs the two soda bottles (one unopened because Ethan didn’t eat or drink for the whole movie) and follows close behind.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Benny places both bottles on the counter. “You seem jumpy.”

Ethan laughs nervously (and visibly jumpy). “What? Jumpy? I’m not jumpy. You’re jumpy!” He says and nearly smacks himself in the face for saying it. Benny snorts in amusement, only feeling slightly bad “Maybe the movie has me a little… shaken, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I told you I would be able to get through it.”

Benny nods, doing his best to hold his tongue. “Yup. You were right. Congratulations E. You sat through a scary movie.” He does his best to say it in the least sarcastic and most supportive way possible. After placing the unopened soda back in the fridge, he heads upstairs. And he takes note of how quickly Ethan scampers upstairs behind him after being left in the kitchen alone for 1.5 seconds.

They get to Ethan’s room and decide to call it a night. It’s already late and both boys are beyond exhausted. Well, Ethan is probably wide awake from the movie and feels like he’s had a bottle of 5 Hour Energy (which he’ll never have again after that one time), but he’s not going to admit that because all Benny will do is say ‘I told you so’ in the most obnoxious possible way and make Ethan feel worse. And he’s so not in the mood for any of Benny’s relentless gloating.

Benny on the other hand is ready to collapse on the air mattress he uses at Ethan’s house, wanting more than ever to fall into a coma. The day has been extremely long, and he got about five hours of sleep the night before, so the sleep he’s about to get is going to be so rewarding. They start getting ready for bed with Ethan feeling anxious every time Benny leaves the room, and soon enough they are in their respective beds and the lights are shut off.

Benny’s breathing evens out within minutes and soft snores escape his lips every few seconds. He usually falls asleep quickly. It’s his thing.

But Ethan can’t sleep. He lays in bed wide awake, his eyes fixated on the outlines of ceiling in the darkness. He wishes he can just fall asleep already or on command or something, but he’s too afraid of what he might end up seeing when he closes his eyes. His paranoia is on an ultimate high as multiple images and scenarios play through his mind of innocent souls (mainly his innocent soul) being eaten by a ravenous clown. Every sound Ethan hears from outside sends his panicked heart haywire. He’s being ridiculous. He knows it. He’s sure nothing’s going to attack him in his sleep. He shifts a bit and closes his eyes but nearly springs out of bed when he thinks he hears Pennywises’ demented cackle.

This is going to be a very long night.

Ethan considers waking Benny up to keep him company for a while at least until he falls asleep. He would feel much better with the company of someone else next to him. Especially if that company is from Benny. But he thinks that’s unfair to the taller boy, especially since he’s knocked out pretty hard and gets insanely grumpy when he doesn’t get enough sleep. He doesn’t want to make Benny get up for his own selfish reasons. Plus, he doesn’t want to give Benny the satisfaction of knowing that he was right. Why? Because sometimes Ethan likes to be stubborn. And petty. And difficult to deal with.

Maybe an hour or so passes when the front door opens, making Ethan jump yet again. He can hear his parents walking through the door downstairs and walking around the living room and kitchen. He can make out the sound of them opening the fridge and moving things around and what he thinks is the microwave. After a few minutes, Ethan hears footsteps walking up the stairs. He quickly turns over and pretends to sleep in case his mom decides to peek in like she sometimes would do in the past.

She doesn’t come in though. Both his parents head straight to their own bedroom. Ethan hears the door to their room closing, and after that the terrifying silence returns.

Somehow exhaustion takes over Ethan and he’s able to fall asleep. But maybe an hour later he wakes up with a gasp when a clown face and creepy laughing plague his dreams. He sits up in bed, gasping loudly as he looks around the dark room. It takes a few minutes for him to remember that it was only a dream (nightmare actually) and that he’s okay, but it all felt so real and it frightened him so much. He feels a lump form in his throat and swallows past it hard as he fights the imminent tears. He knows for a fact he won’t be able to fall asleep again, afraid that the same images will continue to haunt him.

He didn’t want to end up doing this. He despises himself for having to give in. But he feels he has no choice because at this rate he won’t be able to make it through the night without crying.

The lump goes away as Ethan leans off the bed and shakes a sleeping Benny. “Benny. Benny wake up.” He whispers.

“Hmm? Hmm?” Benny’s eyes crack open and Ethan can see through the darkness how tired and unfocused they look. “Whatzamatter?” He slurs groggily.

Ethan instantly feels bad for waking up his boyfriend, but hopefully Benny won’t be too annoyed with him. “Benny, I…, you were right…”

Benny sits up, rubbing his eyes. “Right about what?”

“I shouldn’t have watched that movie.” Ethan admits. “It was way too scary and now I… I’m paranoid and can’t sleep.”

Benny nods. From the look on his face, he doesn’t seem completely awake. Ethan expects him to start gloating about how right he was, but Benny stays quiet. Instead, he gets up and climbs into Ethan’s bed underneath the covers. Ethan moves over to make room and Benny wastes no time spooning Ethan, wrapping a protective arm around his middle and getting comfortable. He does this as if it’s a normal occurrence.

As if it’s not the first time they’re doing this. Spooning. And sharing a bed. As a couple.

Ethan’s heart does many flips.

Something about the warmth and closeness of Benny next to him makes Ethan relax, his tensed muscles turning into jelly. Benny’s scent alone eases his mind and chases away whatever paranoia he might’ve had. It’s been maybe ten seconds and Ethan already feels sleepy, as if he wasn’t just having a clown induced panic attack all of thirty seconds ago. If this is what it’s like sleeping next to someone with their arms wrapped around you then he wants to sleep next to Benny every day for the rest of his life

“Don’t worry E.” Benny mutters in his ear, making the hairs on the back of Ethan’s neck stand up. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you tonight.”

The words make Ethan’s heart flutter and he can’t fight the smile creeping on his lips. It’s amazing how those simple words and Benny being next to him can make Ethan feel so protected. And safe. And utterly happy. He turns his head so he’s facing Benny and he stares into his sleepy green eyes. “Thanks Benny.”

Benny grins and leans forward to capture Ethan’s lips. Ethan’s mind turns to butter and he forgets about why he was scared and what he was paranoid about, and only focuses on the soft, full lips connected to his. They pull away at the same time and Ethan nuzzles closer to Benny and relaxes.

And he soundlessly and peacefully falls asleep without a fear or worry to keep him awake.

* * *

It happens again. Ethan jolts upright in bed, the vivid nightmare of floating balloons and man-eating clowns frightening him awake. He takes sharp breaths as his eyes frantically dart around in the darkness. It was only a dream. It was only a dream, he thinks over and over. His heart rate finally slows down, and he sighs, as he flops backwards on his bed.

It’s been maybe two days since he’s watched ‘It’, and here he is having another nightmare. How pathetic.

Why did I want to watch that stupid movie so badly? he thinks. He really thought he would be able to handle horror movies. But, he was wrong. He guesses scary movies just aren’t for him, and probably will never be for him.

He shakes his head, willing himself to get a grip. Ethan knows he won’t be able to fall back asleep. The images have shaken him way too much for him to be able to relax again. He’ll just end up tossing back and forth in bed until the sun rises, and he’s forced to get up and go to school. So, Ethan does the next best thing he can think of.

He picks up his phone.

“Mmh hullo?”

“Benny? Are you awake?”

“…well I am now.”

“Yeah, uh, sorry to wake you. I, I can’t sleep.”

“Another nightmare?”

“…yeah…”

“Alright. Hold on.”

Ethan waits a few minutes before he hears light tapping at his window. He quickly walks over and opens it, more than relieved to see Benny on the other side of it.

“Hey.” Benny smirks

“Hey.” Ethan says sheepishly. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course I came. I’d leave my house at 2 a.m. and sneak into your window for anything you wanted.”

Ethan laughs, already grateful for Benny’s presence. Somehow Benny always knows exactly what to say and do to get him to feel better. And this time is no different.

“So, do you think you can let me in before this tree branch I’m standing on breaks?”

Ethan breaks out of his stupor and helps Benny inside of his room. Benny jumps to the ground as lightly as possible, mumbling something about wishing he could teleport as Ethan closes the window. They both sit on Ethan’s bed, the bed shifting under their combined weight. “You really shouldn’t have watched that movie E.”

Ethan sighs and hangs his head. “I know. I know. I should have listened to you and watched something else. But instead I managed to scar myself for life.”

Benny moves closer to him. “Come here.” He engulfs Ethan in his arms. Ethan sighs into the hug, burying his face in Benny’s neck. “You’re stubborn and persistent. Even if you listened to me, you still would have found a way to watch the movie.” He pulls away from Ethan, so he can look into his tired, brown orbs. “But I’ll help you get through this until you’re not scared anymore. Okay?”

Ethan nods. They lie down together, Benny spooning Ethan again. He gets as close to Benny as possible and relaxes against him, feeling his steady heart beat against his back. He instantly feels the same safe and protected feeling he got a couple of nights ago when Benny held Ethan until he fell asleep. It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Ethan concludes that this might be his favorite way of sleeping. Benny as well.

“Goodnight Benny.”

“Goodnight Ethan.”

It’s safe to say that Ethan’s guaranteed to have good nights for the rest of his life, so long as Benny is there besides him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter suggests and prompts are welcome. Also kudos and comments are nice...


	3. Decorating Committee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who's ready for some more Bethan fun?
> 
> If you're a Nickelback or Green Day fan say AYE!

Sarah unceremoniously drops a huge binder on the groups lunch table, the sound it makes causing them all to jump. Benny curses, almost spilling his water on himself. He narrows his eyes at Sarah and the binder.

“Really Sarah? You brought homework to lunch? Right in front of my salad?” Benny gestures to his lunch which is most definitely not salad. “Come on Sarah, we’ve been over this a million times. This is lunch time. Break time. A sacred time. We don’t acknowledge homework or schoolwork of any kind during this time. We signed a contract!”

And yes, they indeed did sign a contract.

During their freshmen year, in the middle of studying, doing homework, battling vampires, and being socially awkward, Benny, Ethan, Sarah, Erica, and Rory decided that the one and only time they could all catch a break from the craziness of their lives was during their shared lunch period. It’s the only period of the day when all five of them are together for at least 40 minutes without interruption or other obligations. It’s also the only part of the day that’s not plagued with schoolwork, homework assignments, or any other school related stressor. Thus, they declared lunch time to be their sacred safe place to destress, catch up, eat, laugh, and be normal teenagers that don’t happen to also be supernatural.

They even went out of their way to create a contract with clauses that state all school assignments should be left behind or taken to the library during their lunch period, or whatever other rules they managed to come up with. The Declaration of Lunch Safety of Whitechapel High (DOLSWCH for short. It’s an ugly acronym we know). Benny framed it and everything. His lawyer dad even looked over it. And they each have a digital copy in case any one of them try to be sneaky and violate the terms of the contract.

Like right now.

Sarah sneers at Benny. “I’m aware of that. And I know what the contract says. Trust me. I’ve read it a million times. That’s why this,” she rubs her hands over the top of the binder, “isn’t homework. It’s my student council binder!” The smile on her face lasts for about 1 second before it drops due to the varying levels of groans she receives.

“That’s even worse than homework!” Benny whines.

“And it violates the terms of the contract!” Ethan points out as he pulls up his digital copy of the DOPSWCH on his phone. “Student council counts as a school related stressor since I’m already stressed out just looking at that binder. See clause V subclause iii and vi.” Ethan practically shoves his phone in Sarah’s face to show her as though that will further prove his point.

Sarah pushes his hand away and smirks. “Like I said, I’ve read that thing a million times. I know it inside and out, which means I know how to override that clause. Contrary to what you think, student council counts as an extracurricular or student organization. See clause VI subclause ii.”

Ethan furrows his brows as he scrolls through the contract on his phone until he comes across said section, with Benny and Rory looking over his shoulder for a better view. They take about five seconds to read it through before the groaning resumes but with an intensity level doubled over.

“Why the hell did we include that stupid clause?” Benny whines into his “salad” (it’s pizza honestly).

“It’s your fault for adding it in so we could talk about STEM club and that one time we caught Jessica Pataki and Cody Parker screwing in the chem lab.” Ethan mumbles.

“Okay, but how was I supposed to know it’d end up being a loophole for us to listen to Sarah rant about why Ciara Hansberry doesn’t deserve to be Student Body President just because her rich daddy paid for the gym to be renovated?”

“I guess it doesn’t matter now, since you wanted to include that clause so badly.”

“Listen E, I clear remember you—”

“Oh my god shut up!” Erica almost hisses but holds back enough to not bring out her fangs or draw attention to herself. “If I have to hear you two argue like a married couple for another second, I swear I will rip both your nuts off and beat the shit out of you with it. Got it?”

Both boys exchange a very quick, minute glance when Erica says “married couple” that nobody notices. Instead, Benny smirks. “You know, Erica, if you wanted to put your hands on my nuts all you had to do was ask—hrrrk!”

Erica’s hands are around Benny’s throat before he could finish the sentence. The expression on her face could be best described as saying ‘try me bitch’ while also seeming rather nonchalant. Benny gags for a second before giving in, the fear of her tightening her grip on his throat settling in. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry! Uncle! Uncle!”

She releases her hands from his throat, mumbling, “That’s what I thought,” before turning to Sarah, her features immediately softening for her friend. “Sarah, my beautiful best friend, is there a good reason why you brought your student death book here? Because I’ve had a very long and irritating morning, and if you’re going to tell us something irrelevant about those political tightwads, I might have to hit you over the head with that same binder until you’re unconscious.” She says this all with a smile that makes the three boys sitting across from her nearly crap their pants.

Sarah doesn’t even flinch at her friends’ words. “As you all know Halloween is just around the corner. And every year each grade is supposed to decorate the hallways with a specific holiday decided on by student council.”

“Oh no.” Ethan mumbles only for Benny to hear. “Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

“It is what you think it is.” Sarah continues, without missing a beat. Ethan nearly slaps himself for forgetting about her vampire super hearing. “Because the junior class is lucky enough to be assigned Halloween as our designated holiday.” Sarah’s bright smile and enthusiastic little hop has absolutely no effect on her four friends, who look at her with completely vacant stares.

Ethan and Benny exchange a glance before Ethan speaks. “And?”

Sarah tries to hold back her exasperation. “And I signed us all up for the decorating committee!”

Now that gets a reaction from them.

But not the desired one.

The number of groans that meet her announcement cases her smile to falter. “Yup. We’re definitely reevaluating that stupid clause.” Benny says. Sarah just crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.

“Sarah, sweet,” Erica starts, “how many times do I have to tell you to stop volunteering me for things I most certainly don’t want to do?”

“I second that.” Benny pipes in. Sarah just glares at the two of them. Yeah, she expected them to not be very excited at the news considering that Ethan and Benny are always busy with other things, and Erica just never seems to care about school activities. But she didn’t expect them to be this dramatic about it. At least she didn’t sign them up for the Bake Sale, or Wacky Olympic day again.

Not after what happened last year. She shudders at the memory.

“Listen Sarah,” Ethan says over Benny, Erica, and Rory’s complaining, “we appreciate you wanting us to participate more, and getting us more involved. We know that’s part of your job as class president. But seriously? Out of all things, did it really have to be the decorating committee?”

“And for the holiday decorating committee at that.” Benny adds. He doesn’t need to mention how nobody in their right minds ever wants to be a part of the decorating committee because of the amount of work the job requires.

Not to mention the crazily OCD students who are usually on the decorating committee and strive to drive everyone else insane.

“Yes, it had to be the decorating committee.” Sarah’s glare hasn’t faltered. “We didn’t have enough people volunteering, what with the Crazy Quints driving everyone away. Plus, you all owe me. For multiple things at that. And I really don’t think any of you want me to remind you of what you owe me for, now do you?” Sarah’s eyebrow goes up in a matter of fact way.

And surely enough they each individually owe her in varying degrees. Sarah likes to see herself as a generous, helpful friend. And she’s always willing to go out of her way to help the people she cares about. But there are some situations (usually rare) that she has to put her foot down. Some situations in which she can’t just ignore how much she has to go out of her way to help said friend, or how much it’s literally taking out of her to help them. She still helps them, don’t get her wrong. But it ends on an IOU basis.

Those situations are typically rare. But they happen. And Sarah takes full advantage.

And by the looks of it, her friends understand exactly where she’s coming from. Ethan’s face pales out as he sips his drink. Benny blushes madly, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Rory’s expression transforms from shock to guilt in a matter of seconds. And Erica looks like she regrets most of her life up until this point. Sarah doesn’t try to hide her victorious smile.

“When do we start?” Rory grumbles, speaking for the first time.

“Everyone’s meeting at 9 am this Saturday—”

“Saturday?!” Erica exclaims, dread settling on her features.

“—and we’re all meeting outside the student council office.” Sarah ignores her friend as she hands out a flyer with the required information on it. “I suggest wearing comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. And make sure you eat breakfast, so nobody passes out again.” She gives a pointed look at Ethan. “Lunch will also be provided. No, it is not an all you can eat buffet.” Rory visibly deflates at that. But none of their reactions do anything for the satisfied smirk Sarah wears.

“Seriously? Saturday? Come on Sarah I had plans!” Erica exasperates.

“Guess you’ll just have to cancel them.” Sarah shrugs as she closes her binder and sits in triumph. She shouldn’t feel so good about persuading (more like manipulating) her friends into helping her for her own agenda. But she can’t find it in herself to feel bad about the situation. Not only did she successfully get them to spend a full Saturday at school doing something that she wants, but she managed to fill the Junior decorating committee quota with the four of them.

Which will benefit all of them she promises.

She begins to take out her lunch like the happy camper she now is. She looks up to start a conversation, but seeing the faces of her friends stops her. Call it melodramatic, but they’ve all somehow managed to look like a puppy who’s gotten its toys taken away, with Benny sulking into his pizza, Ethan stirring his yogurt and sighing, Erica glaring at the wall, and Rory’s head planted firmly on the table.

Okay, maybe she feels a little bad.

Sarah sighs. “Look, I know coming here isn’t really what any of you want to do on a Saturday. I don’t want to come either. But I promise it will be worth it in the end.” She begins unwrapping her sandwich. “You guys just have to trust me on this one. You guys do trust me, right?”

They look to each other, expressions the same as before. Finally, Erica speaks. “We trust you Sarah. No, we’d rather not be anywhere near this place on a weekend, but we’ll only do it for you. Right guys?” Erica looks to the boys, daring them to say anything but ‘yes’.

Benny and Rory mumble a feeble, “Yeah,” as they finally look up from their lunch because honestly, it could be worse. They could be working the annual food drive (after the disaster of 2016, never again) or the marathon or something. The only thing that makes the decorating committee slightly more horrific than any other event is the Crazy Quints.

Ooh, those Quints!

But they can work around them, right?

“And, I’m sure whatever you have up your sleeve will be worth it in the end.” Ethan chimes in, which makes Sarah visibly beam.

“You guys are the best.” Sarah gushes, giving Benny a bone crunching hug (literally. Has anyone seen how strong these vampires are?) because he’s the closest to her. Benny’s grunt of pain doesn’t fall on deaf ears as Sarah let’s go, singing praises and thanks to the best friends she could ever ask for. “I promise, you guys won’t regret it!”

* * *

Benny regrets it.

He regrets letting Sarah manipulate him into participating. He regrets owing Sarah a huge favor. He regrets getting involved with vampires. Because why, oh why should anyone in their right mind be up on a Saturday before 10 am?

Sure, he probably shouldn’t have been up until 2 playing online games with 7 year old prodigies in Japan. And sure, drinking three Red Bulls back to back probably wasn’t a good idea either (if his headache has anything to do with it). And last night probably wasn’t the best time to watch Avengers fan theories and Mandela Effects on YouTube. But Benny is just one man. One man who partakes in the simple joys in life such as staying up late on the weekend simple because he can!

No, he’s not complaining for complaining sake. No, he’s not being dramatic.

He has one night in the week to fuck around and do whatever he wants without anyone telling him not to. And that’s Friday nights.

And by all means he is going to continue with his Friday night activities as much as he pleases. Even if it means he’ll be a walking zombie all day.

He guesses the one good part of the day is that he gets to spend it with his boyfriend (which he could have done regardless, but whatever). The bad part is he and Ethan are stubbornly stuck in an unlabeled closet so they can’t do anything beyond platonic with each other.

What was the benefit in all this again?

“Ugh! I can’t believe we’re really forced to do this.” Benny whines as his skateboard slowly rolls alongside Ethan. “Sarah better be grateful because there’s no reason why I should be conscious right now. I had a rough night and—”

“I don’t think playing video games and re-watching Stranger Things counts as having a rough night Benny.” Ethan chuckles. He himself was fast asleep by 10 p.m. so he could be alert and have energy for the long and agonizing day. He tried to get Benny to go to sleep at a reasonable time as well but “the Japanese prodigies wait for no one E!” or whatever Benny said last night.

Benny scoffs. “Yeah, whatever. Point is it’s Saturday! Why couldn’t they pick some other day to do this whole decorating shindig, huh? Like Tuesday. Tuesday’s a good day. We’re already at school that day so y’know, why not. I mean, this whole thing must be unconstitutional in some way! I’m sure our founding fathers—”

“Jeez Benny calm down!” Ethan interrupts the brunets rambling as he accidentally swerves his board into him. “You’re going to crash that board into me, and when you do I’ll make you regret the day you bought it. I’m serious!”

“My bad E.” Benny falters. “I’m still getting the hang of this thing. But I haven’t run into any bushes so that must be a plus right?” He’s actually gotten much better at skateboarding since he started learning a couple weeks ago, much to Ethan’s shock and dismay. Not to worry though. With some more practice and a few key tricks, Benny will be the next Tony Hawke in a matter of no time.

He’s joking of course.

Sort of.

“Yeah, sure, of course.” Ethan roll his eyes. “Because running over your boyfriend is somehow better.” Benny scoffs again. He was not going to run over Ethan, he’s sure of it. “But anyway, you’re being dramatic about this. At least it’s not Saturday detention we’re going to. It’s just hallway decorating so we can get the required points for Spirit Week. Besides, you wouldn’t be this cranky had you gone to sleep early like I told you to.”

“I am not cranky.” Benny says defiantly, crossing his arms. “And what was I supposed to do? Miss a night and let those little Japanese kids get the upper hand? Nuh-uh, not a chance in hell.”

Ethan shakes his head as they turn a corner. “Wow, I’d never guess. Beating little kids at League of Legends validates your ego.”

“Wha— I—” Benny splutters. “It does not validate my ego.”

“Sure it doesn’t.”

“Well I wouldn’t have to play with said little kids if someone didn’t fall asleep early like some type of heathen.”

“That might also be why you’re the only one still complaining about helping Sarah out.” They stop at a corner, waiting for the light to let them walk. “I get that we have to give up a Saturday to go to school for a few hours, and I get that it’s really early. But Sarah has done a lot to help us out over the years. We’ve been a royal pain, and she’s been there for it all. Don’t you think it’s time to at least show her how much we appreciate everything she does?” Benny hates to admit that Ethan is making sense because he wants to stand his ground and be cranky and complain. But the more Ethan speaks, the more Benny feels bad for whining. “Besides, what’s so bad about spending the whole day with our friends?”

Benny shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to spend the day mainly with you.”

Ethan smirks. “Benny, we are going to be spending the day together.”

“You know what I mean.”

Ethan looks up at his boyfriend. The look in his eyes is saying a thousand things without his mouth having to move. They flicker from Ethan’s eye to his lips then back. Ethan wants to pull Benny into him and kiss him senseless in that exact moment, right there on that street corner. He settles for giving his hand a quick squeeze before crossing the street as the light changes.

“Yeah, I know.” Ethan finally says. “That does suck. But it’s only for one Saturday. We have a million other Saturdays to look forward to, and then some. This one day won’t hurt us.”

Benny ponders his words for a second. A million, huh? “Wow. A million? You plan on sticking with me for that long?”

Ethan looks at Benny strange, furrowing his eyebrows. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

Benny opens his mouth to speak, but before he can get out any words, or even breathe for that matter, the air is firmly knocked out of both of them as Rory rushes behind them, throwing his arms around their shoulders.

The two boys let out a shocked grunt (and somebody screams. A very girlish scream at that). Benny loses his footing and trips off his board. Ethan clutches his chest as the blond boy cheeses at them as if he didn’t just scare their pants off.

“Ethan! Benny! My brothas! What’s going on guys?” Rory is practically jumping with joy. One person should not be allowed to have this much energy at 8:45 a.m. It’s nauseating.

And suddenly Benny’s headache worsens.

“Hey Rory.” The two boys mumble, the moment they were sharing now gone and replaced by a Rory sized weight. They boy, who never manages to take social ques, just squeezes their shoulders tighter as his smile brightens.

“This is just great. Me and the boys, hanging out all Saturday. Aren’t you as excited as I am?!” More jumping. More enthusiasm. More headache. “Listen, I know we’ve been dreading today and all of that, but not to worry. I have insight from a very reliable source that there will be some killer babes helping out today. And we three bachelors just might get lucky.” Rory sing-songs the last sentence to which Ethan and Benny groan.

“Oh great.”

“Fucking fantastic.”

“I know right!” Rory is practically dragging them towards the school. “What can be better than this? I know we complained about having to decorate, but I think this could be a great opportunity to do a little bit of networking in the dating pool and get to know some single ladies while we still got our good looks and swag.”

“Please never say swag.” Ethan mutters, only receiving a laugh and more enthusiastic babbling from Rory. Benny and Ethan exchange a glance over his head, both finding dread in their eyes that wasn’t there before.

Yup. This is going to be a long day.

* * *

“Okay, who put that skeleton over staircase C like that?!” Benny nearly drops the fake spiderweb he was hanging up at the shrill voice. He groans as he rubs his temple because this is the fifth time someone’s complained about skeleton placement and it’s not even 11 yet. “I specifically said all skeletons should line the walls by the Biology lab!” Benny turns from his spot on the ladder, but he doesn’t have to see the person to know who’s causing the scene. Delia Benson all but rips the skeleton from it’s spot by the staircase. “I have a vision people! Does nobody understand that? Does nobody understand my creative genius? Or are you all determined to sabotage our chances at winning spirit week this year?” She shoves the skeleton into the hands of a small junior boy before dragging him in the direction of the bio lab. The boy looks exceptionally scared. No surprise there.

Remember the Crazy Quints I mentioned earlier? Yeah this has to do with them.

The Crazy Quints consist of five overly cheery and peppy students (including Delia) who are notorious for “giving 110 percent to the school in all ways possible, and ensuring that everyone feels how much school spirit Whitechapel High has!” Barf. They’re probably the most overly enthusiastic and energetic people in the school, if not all of Whitechapel. The five of them are like if a puppy and the energizer bunny had a love child. Five love children actually. And those love children also happened to be Godzilla.

The Crazy Quints are also the most stressful and overbearing group, especially when it came to events, decorating, projects, etc. They’re a group of psychotic perfectionist, with a place for everything and anything. They pretty much have the entire hallway mapped out to a tee. Even the smallest flake of glitter.

And, they’re pretty scary when things don’t end up how they want it. Especially the flake of glitter.

Benny turns back around once the drama (or lack thereof) dies down to finish putting up the fake webs. He can’t believe he dragged himself out of his warm bed all the way to school only for his job to be putting up stretched bits of cotton. As if that’s all he’s good for! As if he’s spent the last ten years learning how to perfectly capture the emotion in the eyes of anime characters for no reason. As if he hasn’t been taking animation classes since fifth grade. He takes AP Art for crying out loud!

This is just insulting!

And the webs don’t even look that cool!

“Honestly this is all beneath me creatively.” Benny mutters to himself.

“We’re making cheesy Halloween decorations. Creatively, it’s beneath all of us.” A voice says from beneath him.

He glances down, almost startled by the olive skinned girl standing next to the ladder he’s on. She carefully draws on a fake pumpkin while smirking at Benny. Huh. He didn’t even realize someone else was standing next to him. “Well at least you’re doing something that looks like fun. I’m stuck putting up these stupid webs, which honestly I could have made better.” He holds up the spiderwebs to further his point.

The girl snorts. “Fun? I’d much rather be sticking those things to the wall than this. I’ve messed this one pumpkin up five times already and had to start over before the Crazies could see.” She sheepishly turns the pumpkin so Benny can see the drawing and…

Okay it’s not that bad. He’s done something similar to that. Y’know, when he was four.

The look on his face must give it away because the girl chuckles. “Don’t worry. I know it’s bad. You can be honest about it.”

Benny sighs in relief. “Good, because yikes. I’m not sure who I feel worse for. You, or the pumpkin.” She chuckles at that, which throughs Benny of guard. The only person who laughs at his bad jokes is Ethan. He’s not used to other people finding him funny. It feels kind of nice.

Benny steps of the ladder. “You wanna switch before Delia comes over and takes a peek? She’ll probably chew your head off if the pumpkins aren’t as perfect as how she’s picturing it in her head. Literally. Plus, I’d much rather do the pumpkins than try to make spiderwebs aesthetically pleasing.”

“Yes please. I thought you’d never ask.” The girl eagerly hands Benny the pumpkin and marker while she takes the remaining webs in his hand and climbs the ladder. Yeah, this girl definitely does not have an eye for art like he does. He’s becoming excited already at the ideas he has for the pumpkin. He can’t help it though. Drawing for him is like a candy store for a little kid.

Benny wipes off the markings with a baby wipe. “So, I don’t necessarily know everyone in school, but I know for a fact I’ve never seen you here before.”

“That’s because I’m new here.” The girl smiles. “I moved to Whitechapel from Boston a few weeks ago. My dad got this job offer he couldn’t refuse, and before I knew it he was moving our family to a small town in Canada and making me leave my whole life behind.” It’s crazy how she says all that without her expression changing from a leisure one, as if it’s not a big deal.

“Wow, I’m really sorry to hear that.” Benny says sincerely. “I kind of feel like an asshole for prying now.”

The new girl waves him off. “Don’t worry, because you’re not. And it’s alright. I was upset at first, but I’ve come to terms with the move and everything. And I ended up actually liking it here. The neighborhood isn’t too bad. And so far I’ve met some nice people.” She gives Benny a pointed look. It takes him a minute to realize what she’s suggesting.

“Wait, you mean me?” He points at himself with the marker.

New girl laughs. “I mean I’ve met a lot of nice people in general. But you’re also included in that now that I’ve met you.”

“Good, good. I pride myself in being a nice person.” Benny smiles as he draws, the creative juices already flowing through his arm.

“So what made you decide to wake up bright and early on a Saturday morning to come to school and do all of this?” New girl asks as she moves the ladder over.

“One of my friends’ persuaded me into it.” Benny says. “And by persuaded, I mean she forced me to participate. She kind of forced my other friends into it too. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to help her out and everything, but a Saturday isn’t the best of days for this.”

“Yeah, I get it. Kind of regretted signing up myself when I realized I had to give up sleep.”

Benny nods. “Yeah, that’s another downside. The whole sleep thing. What made you sign up by the way?”

New girl shrugs. “I figured the best way to get involved and to make friends is to participate in things like this. Though come to think of it, I’m not the best at decorating, or taking orders from pretentious people like the fab five over there.” She jabs her thumb in the direction of the Crazy Quints who have all gathered in a corner harassing yet another poor kid. “I might have been better off joining yearbook or something.”

“I can tell you right now that you would not benefit from the yearbook club. You see the red head over there with the yellow Adidas track suit?” Benny discreetly points at the group, still huddled in the corner. New girl glances at them. “That’s Andrew Mackie. He runs yearbook club. And he’s the male version of Delia. Just as hot headed and bitchy, but in masculine form.”

“Alrighty then. Forget that.” New girl looks back at Benny, her brown eyes somehow smiling without her mouth doing so. “You seem to know a lot about this school, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Benny says, not knowing whether that’s a compliment or not (he’s bad at receiving compliments). “A lot of these people I’ve known since elementary school. And I grew up in this town so almost everyone knows each other here. It’s that small town life and all.”

“Right I see. Growing up in a big city deprived me of that whole small town vibe. But I think I like it.”

“Well, White Chapel is happy to have you here.” Benny flashes her a quick smile. He turns the pumpkin so she can see the end results. “And so is this pumpkin as you can see.”

In the short amount of time they were talking, Benny managed to sketch out a smiling Jack Skeleton holding a snowflake. There are still a few rough edges, but it’s not bad considering the amount of time he’s been working on it and his only utensil is a thin marker. He can of course create a much better one with the right amount of time and supplies, but since this is just high school decorations for pumpkins most people won’t even notice, it’ll have to do.

It’s still beneath him creatively. Just slightly less.

New girls’ jaw drops when she see’s the pumpkin. “Wow. That’s impressive. I’ve gotta say, I didn’t expect you to really do much when you started, but you really shocked me there. You’ve got some serious artistic talent in that arm of yours.”

“Yeah, well,” Benny shrugs, “I take AP Art and Animation so this is nothing compared to what I can really do.”

“Hmm, well, you’ll just have to show me what your AP Art skills can really do one day.”

“If you ever want me to show you some stuff, you can always stop by the art studio.” Benny suggests as new girl steps down from the ladder. “I’m there just about every day for no specific reason. Unless I have class of course.”

New girl nods, stepping close enough to Benny that he can smell the exact shampoo and conditioner she used (Aussie Moist to be exact). “I might have to take you up on that offer one day. Though I think I’ll need your name for me to actually visit you. Can’t just ask around for a six foot green-eyed junior who can draw now can I.”

“Oh, right!” Benny extends his hand. “I’m Benny. Benny Weir. And for your information, I do more than just draw. My art abilities have many layers.”

New girl takes his hand and laughs. “It’s nice to meet you Benny Weir. And let me just say I really appreciate you comparing your art abilities to Shrek’s personality.”

“Ha, yeah that was pretty clever wasn’t it.” It’d be even more clever had it been on purpose. “It’s nice to meet you too… what’s your name by the way?”

New girl smirks as she folds the ladder. “I go by Char.”

Benny nods. “Char. Okay. Is that short for anything?”

“Yeah.” She nods as she takes a couple of steps back. She gives Benny one last smirk before walking in the direction of the student council office. Benny just shrugs and picks up a new fake pumpkin. Huh. The last time he made a friend that easily was in Kindergarten. And that friend was Ethan. Everyone else just seems to get turned off by his wit and cockiness and inability to stop talking sometimes. Benny’s amazed that she put up with him for more than five minutes.

She’s nice though. He should introduce Char to Rory. He’d have a field day talking a cute girl’s ear off. And she doesn’t seem like the type to tell him to shut the hell up.

It takes Benny a minute to realize Ethan’s standing next to him, his shirt covered in orange glitter. Benny snorts. “Did a really girlie pumpkin throw up on you? Or did you get glitter happy again?”

“What was that all about?” Ethan asks, completely ignoring Benny’s question.

Benny blinks. “What do you mean?” He tries not to think about how cute Ethan looks covered in glitter because that train of thought will have him unfocused for the rest of the day. Ethan juts his chin at the direction of the now vacant ladder. “Oh, you mean Char.”

Ethan nods. “Yeah. What was that all about?” He repeats.

Benny misses the tension in his voice. “We switched jobs because mine was boring and she was abusing these poor pumpkins with bad drawings. Apparently she’s new to Whitechapel from Boston. She seems cool.”

“Mmhmm, I’m sure she’s cool. Which is also probably why she was flirting with you that whole time.”

Benny scrunches his nose, giving Ethan an incredulous look. “Flirting? What are you talking about? We were just talking to each other.”

“You must’ve done an awful lot of talking to know that she just moved here from Boston, and for you to invite her to the art room to see your Shinigami drawings.”

“The only person who gets to see those drawings are you and you know it.” Benny says defensively to which Ethan scoffs. “And well yeah, that’s what happens when two people talk. They find out knew things about each other and…” Benny stops drawing on the pumpkin long enough to take in the boy standing in front of him. Ethan’s arms are crossed over his chest, brows furrowed, and a slight pout to his lip. He looks like he’s trying to seem mad or intimidating, but all Benny can think of is a really angry kitten. It takes another minute for it to click exactly what’s going on with Ethan.

“Oh my god E, are you jealous?” Benny says in the quietest way possible. He watches as Ethan’s face gives away to a blush.

“Wha-what, I— No! I’m not jealous.” Ethan doesn’t meet Benny’s eyes as he says it.

Benny can’t help but be a little smug. “You’re so totally jealous. I can’t believe you’re jealous because I was talking to the new girl. This is truly a monumental moment for us I believe. A milestone in our relationship. We gotta take a picture later to remember it.” He doesn’t mean to sound like such a douchebag about it, but seeing Ethan get all worked up over something as simple as Benny talking to someone else really warms Benny’s heart in a weird way. He can’t really say why though. Maybe it’s because it shows Ethan really cares.

Ethan glares at Benny. “I’m not jealous of anything. I was just really concerned because of how nice and friendly she was being to you. I mean, it’s just kind of strange considering she doesn’t even know you and she just moved her. Frankly I don’t trust her at all. And why would she target you of all people?”

Benny can’t deny the pang in his heart at the words Ethan says, and the way it sinks a little. He swallows down the small lump in his throat and rolls his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe she was just trying to make friends and get to know other people. But I get it. She’s a pretty girl who’s really nice, and I’m a complete doofus who talks too much and plays online games with little kids. And if my boyfriend thinks that way, then she probably does as well, so why would she want to talk to someone like me?” The marker moves on the pumpkin but he can’t seem to focus on what he’s drawing anymore as his mind lowers itself into his insecurity bubble. He doesn’t know if that’s how Ethan meant it, but that’s how Benny took it. That’s what it sounded like.

“Wait, Benny no. That’s not what I meant.” Benny hears Ethan but doesn’t look up to meet his eyes. “I just meant that, th-this is Whitechapel, and you can’t just trust anyone that waltz’s in and, y’know—”

“Morgan!” A shrill voice makes them both jump and turn in the direction it came from. They’re both approached by the equivalent of an angry yellow highlighter. “The Michael Myers blow ups needed air an hour ago, and the witch cauldrons look like a child’s soup bowl! We’re not paying you to stand around and mingle!”

“You’re not paying me at all…” Ethan scrunches his eyebrows as Andrew Mackie turns even more red, hair included.

“Don’t you back-sass me, or by all means I’ll have you demoted to bathroom duty!” Andrew grabs Ethan’s wrist and drags him down the hall. Ethan’s protests can be heard as they echo against the walls until they ger fair enough that he can’t be heard anymore. Benny waits until then before slumping against the wall behind him. The lump in his throat is still there, and he tries to swallow it back down but to no avail. He tilts his head back until he’s looking at the ceiling, hoping that gravity will keep the hot tears from falling down his cheeks. He was not feeling this emotional five seconds ago and has no idea what the hell is happening to him right now. He pinches his arm hard (harder than he needed to) and wills himself to pull it together. He doesn’t know what’s causing this emotional break down, but he’s not about to have one in the middle of a high school hallway on a Saturday morning. He’s rather not suffer that type of embarrassment.

Finally, the lump dissolves and the tears fade away. He let’s out a big sigh and steps away from the wall. There are a lot more pumpkins left, and only one of him. The faster he can finish with them, the better.

He looks down at the pumpkin he had been working on and curses. Somehow during that dreadful conversation, he managed to draw out a broken heart. “Goddammit.” He wipes the drawing off and proceeds to start over with much less purpose than before.

Four o’clock better come quick.

* * *

Benny couldn’t have been out of the school faster the moment four o’clock hit and Sarah and the rest of the Junior representatives declared them free to go. Benny zipped right out of the building on his skateboard like he was on fire, not waiting for anyone. Not Rory, Sarah, Erica, or even Ethan. In fact, he’d been avoiding his boyfriend all day, ever since the whole Char thing. He purposely ate lunch by himself in the STEM room and stuck near Rory when there was downtime. He even went as far as asking the Crazy Quints for more tasks to do that would keep him as far away from Ethan as possible. He didn’t think he could handle seeing the black haired boy again without having an emotional break down, so avoidance was the next best thing.

Benny can’t figure out why he’s being so dramatic about it anyway. It’s not like Ethan said anything that he didn’t already know or wasn’t true. Benny’s well aware that most people don’t gravitate towards him because he comes on too strong like an over charged puppy. He knows that he talks too much sometimes (and usually about things nobody cares about). He knows he sometimes doesn’t have a filter, and his jokes either aren’t funny or come off offensive. He knows that he’s childish most of the time.

So why is it that when Ethan subtly pointed out the obvious Benny started feeling emotional? He never gets emotional.

He can’t seem to figure it out. Maybe it’s because Char is really nice and Benny likes making friends and talking to people. Maybe it’s because nobody has pointed out these things about him in a while, so he forgot. Or maybe it’s because he didn’t expect Ethan to be the one to remind him. Ethan. His boyfriend. The one person he thought would support him and make him feel good about himself.

Benny guesses he was wrong. It must have all been wishful thinking.

And now, after the most fulfilling shower of his life, Benny lies spread eagle on his bed in the biggest hoodie he owns blasting Green Day and Nickelback and staring at his slow moving ceiling fan. He continues to self-pity himself while Billie Joe Armstrong walks on a boulevard of broken dreams until his doorbell rings. And continues to ring. Rapidly.

Benny groans. Whoever it is will just have to come back later. Or never. Benny turns up the volume of the song until the ringing is drowned out and closes his eyes, Chad Kroeger filling his ears with the opening lines to How You Remind Me. The ringing stops and Benny sighs in peace. He just wants to be left alone for the rest of the afternoon. Whoever that was will have to understand that.

This is how you remind me of what I really am.

Bang!

Benny almost jumps off the bed at the loud noise, his heart beating right out of his chest. He scrambles to turn the music down to a not eardrum shattering volume. The banging starts up again, and Benny can tell that it’s coming from his window. He gets up to move his blackout curtains and nearly jumps again at the way Ethan is plastered to his window for dear life. Benny opens the window quickly and Ethan falls inside the room.

“Ethan?” Benny asks in astonishment.

“Hey.” Ethan breathes heavily as he stands up. “Didn’t think you’d hear me over our dear friend Chad.”

“Did you really just climb to my window?” Benny asks, still astonished.

“Yeah, well,” the smaller boy bends down and places his hands on his knees, still breathing heavily, “you wouldn’t answer the door so...”

“But, you’re deathly afraid of heights…”

Ethan nods, wheezing. “Yeah, but you wouldn’t answer th-the door and… music’s too loud and… can’t really talk or-or breathe right now…”

Benny jumps to hold his boyfriend who’s legs are starting to tremble. He’s known Ethan long enough to recognize when he’s having a panic attack, which doesn’t happen often. But doing something like climbing a rather high distance (even though he’s acrophobic) is definitely a trigger.

“Hey, E take a few deep breaths with me okay? In and out.” Ethan matches his breaths with Benny’s, however shaky they may be. “That’s it babe. Breathe in and out. You’re safe now, okay? You’re in my room, standing on the floor with me. No need to be scared anymore.” Benny has his arms around Ethan, who leans into the security of the touch. They continue this for a few more seconds before Ethan finally stands up straight, letting out a deep sigh. His heartrate has gone back to a normal pace, and his lungs don’t feel like they’re being crushed.

“Better?” Benny asks as he releases Ethan.

Ethan nods. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“No problem E.”

The moment passes, and they slide into a bit of awkwardness. It’s the most awkward they’ve felt since they started dating, and Benny pretty much hates how it feels. But what is he supposed to say? He’s been avoiding Ethan for this exact reason. “So…”

“Oh, right.” Ethan says. “The reason why I came here to begin with. I was going to tell you this at school before we left, but you disappeared, and Delia started yelling at me again and… well that doesn’t matter. I came here to say I’m sorry for how I acted earlier and for what I said. It came across wrong, and that’s not at all how I meant it.”

“Oh.” Benny’s reminded of exactly why he was listening to his emo playlist. He waves Ethan off and sits on the bed. “Don’t worry about it E. You just said stuff I already knew was true. It’s fine. Don’t stress it.”

Ethan furrows his eyebrows. “What? What do you mean?”

“I mean people aren’t necessarily nice or friendly to me because I’m way too hyper and immature and just too much to deal with. And I’m just an overall annoying dork. So why would anyone, including the new girl, go out of their way to get to know me? It’s fine E. I already knew that. I guess you just reminded me of that fact.”

Ethan shakes his head furiously. “No, no Benny that’s not true. And that’s not what I meant at all. I just…” he sighs. “You were right. I saw you getting along really well with the pretty new girl and I got jealous because she’s pretty and nice and new and you guys were laughing and, I just got scared that you might end up liking her more than me…” he sits next to Benny, causing the bed to dip. “Do you really believe everything you just said?”

Benny just shrugs lamely. “I don’t know. Doesn’t everyone?”

“Baby, no.” Ethan takes Benny’s hand. “Nobody believes that. At least nobody that matters does. You’re so much more amazing than you can see. Yeah, you can be hyper, but you bring so much light and energy everywhere you go, and make everyone happy just by being yourself. You’re not immature. You just have an amazing childlike wonder and optimism in you that I really hope you never lose. And you’re not annoying, nor are you a dork. You’re one of the most passionate, talented, caring, lovable, and genuine people I know, and anyone would be lucky to get to know you. So please, don’t say any of that about yourself because it’s not true.”

Benny meets Ethan’s impossibly brown eyes for the first time, the sincerity behind his words unmistakable. He hears what Ethan said, but the stupid voice in the back of his head keeps telling him otherwise. He gives Ethan a small smile. “You’re pretty amazing too, y’know.”

Ethan returns the smile, looping an arm around Benny’s waist. “That’s because you make me amazing.”

“We make each other amazing.” Benny wraps his arm around Ethan’s shoulders as he leans forward, smiling into the kiss he presses to his lips. They both melt into it, finally getting the chance to be alone after a long day of not being alone. Oh, how they’re going to enjoy it.

They finally pull apart, Benny softly caressing Ethan’s cheek. “Thanks for coming. And thanks for saying all that nice stuff about me.”

“All that nice stuff was true stuff. I’d say it over and over again if I had too.” They share another kiss, a deeper one this time. So deep that they have to break apart after a few minutes just so they don’t pass out from lack of oxygen. They spend the rest of the afternoon in Benny’s room, cuddling and talking and listening to music and finally getting to spend the day together like they wanted.

“Sarah was right.” Benny says into Ethan’s hair. “Decorating committee was worth it in the end.”

Of course this isn’t necessarily what she meant by that, but nothing’s stopping Benny from pretending it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole thing came out of nowhere. Yet it somehow ended up being 17 pages.
> 
> Next chapter will piggy back off this one, and will be a Halloween fic so stay tuned. Also those of you leaving Kudos without leaving a comment, I see you. *insert eye emoji*


	4. Costume War! part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me explain myself.
> 
> I wanted this up before Halloween, but it didn't happen because this chapter was no where near done, and I'd rather upload a chapter that's late but good than a half-assed one. So, this chapter is late. But it's alright. I hope
> 
> There's mild Slut-shaming in this one. Also a small make out session.

Benny squints at the notes on the smart board in his AP History class Monday morning, not remembering the words being this blurry before. He leans forward in his seat but that helps just as much as the squinting does. Does that say Gotham union or Danderism? He looks down at the sentence he wrote and… neither of those words make sense in it. Actually, the entire sentence he has in his notebook doesn’t make any sense. All his notes make absolutely no sense.

He swears he was able to see the board from this exact distance last week. He thinks. Or wasn’t he also squinting a few weeks ago?

“Hey E,” he turns to Ethan sitting next to him, “can you tell me what that word is next to ‘Park Stax’?’

Ethan abruptly drops the pen he’s writing with and looks at Benny incredulously. “What the hell did you just say?”

Benny points at the smartboard. “The second bullet point. It says something about ‘Park Stax’, whatever that means. But I don’t know if that says ‘Gotham union’ or ‘Danderism’. Or Orgasmic possible.” He snickers to himself, but Ethan is nowhere near amused. “I don’t know how any of that makes sense. But if they want to add Gotham city to the History curriculum then I’m not complaining. But this might not be the right class to discuss orgasms.”

Ethan just blinks at Benny, not saying anything for far too long. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop making orgasm jokes.” Ethan continues to look at Benny like he’s decided to shave his head and join a cult. “Why are you still looking at me like that?”

“…Benny, that bullet point say’s ‘Karl Marx’s Communism’.”

Benny looks back at the board as if squinting at it a third time is going to make a difference. “A-are you sure about that? Because I’m almost certain that’s a ‘D’ right there. And that for sure says Park I think. And I mean it’s not that absurd to think they might start teaching us about Batman just for fun. Or orgasms.” Ethan rolls his eyes because the joke was never funny to begin with. “I can read Ethan. I promise.”

“Of course you can. Let me see this.” Ethan takes Benny’s notebook to inspect the notes himself and, wow. Almost everything is completely wrong. And when he says completely wrong, he means it looks like Benny wrote everything with his eyes closed. “Benny, when was the last time you had an eye exam?”

Benny shrugs, fighting the panicked twitch he gets when he thinks about the evil— he means eye doctor. “I dunno. A few years ago, I guess. I mean, I’ve never really needed to. I’ve passed every eye test I’ve ever had and have had perfect vision my whole life. It’s genetics. Grandma told me so.”

“Genetics, huh? Is that why you’ve been writing down pure nonsense for the past 45 minutes?”

Benny looks at Ethan in confusion. Ethan hands him the notebook, along with his own so Benny can compare for himself. And surely enough, everything he wrote was completely different from what Ethan wrote. And by that he means everything Ethan wrote pertained to the lesson in some way, and everything Benny wrote looked like an LSD trip. Not that he’d know what the feels like but he can pretend. Everything Ethan wrote is well copied and makes sense, and well, Benny’s not sure how he made any sense out of ‘Skittle’s and redundant Russian cauliflower’.

“Ugh, fuck my life.” Benny mutters into the book. “I can’t believe this entire time I’ve been sitting in all my classes all happy-go-lucky and willy-nilly, not realizing that I can’t see anything. I can’t even remember the last time I sat here and saw the board clearly. Do you know how many notes I have to redo now? And what about my other classes…” He drags his hand down his face in frustration. “How did I not realize this sooner?”

“Your stubbornness had you in denial.” Ethan smirks.

Benny scoffs. “First of all, you and I both know you’re the stubborn one.” Ethan rolls his eyes and mutters a “sure” that Benny still catches. “Second of all, you’re not helping. What am I gonna do E? I don’t have time to redo my notes for every class.”

“Calm down bae— Benny.” Ethan hopes nobody noticed the slip up he almost had. “I’ll make copies of my notes. And I’m sure Sarah, Erica, and Rory will help you out too. Actually scratch that, Sarah will help you out for sure.” Benny gives him a grateful smile. “But you need to make an appointment with the eye doctor.”

Benny groans. “Do I have to? Why can’t I squint my way through life until I can afford contacts or laser eye surgery or something?”

“I’m not helping you unless you agree to make an eye appointment. And don’t think you can just pretend to make one because I will physically sit with you and watch you call and make the appointment. And I will go to the appointment with you so you don’t chicken out.”

Benny pouts. “Fine, I’ll make the stupid eye appointment. When did you get so assertive?”

“Same day I started dating you.” Ethan mutters as the bell rings. Benny’s the only person to hear the remark and can’t fight the blush he develops from it. He quickly gathers his things and hurries after Ethan who’s already halfway to the door.

They both enter the hallway which in all honesty looks amazing (and they’re not just saying that because they decorated it). The fake spiderwebs must have undergone an extreme makeover because they suddenly look like legitimate spiderwebs strung on the walls and ceilings, and not just bunches of cotton. The walls are covered in wallpaper that gives the hallway a Transylvanian vibe, and specialized lights create small spiders that run up and down the wall. Different movie and television show characters are set up around the hallway including Samara from The Ring, Jack Skeleton, Jason, the Demegorgon, the twins from The Shinning, Jigsaw, and so many more that it makes Ethan and Benny’s head spin. Cauldrons are set up with fake fog spilling out of it and covering the floors, making the whole thing look even more epic. Headstones have been set up with bones and skulls sticking out of the ground and walls. Monster Mash plays throughout the hallway. The entire thing looks so good, Benny almost feels bad for complaining so much.

Almost.

“Huh.” Ethan says as the pair walk toward their lockers. “I don’t remember the hallway looking this kick-ass.”

Benny shakes his head. “Neither do I. What was the budget on this thing? Because if there was one, we definitely went over it.”

“No idea.” Ethan says as they pass a Headless Horseman (alright who brought that in?).

“And we helped do all this right?”

Ethan nods. “Uh-huh. Maybe spending the whole Saturday helping out wasn’t such a bad thing after all.”

They reach their lockers at the same time Sarah comes running up to them with so much glee on her face you’d thing she co-produced the show. “Isn’t it amazing?! I can’t believe we actually pulled this whole thing off! And to think the Seniors picked Valentines Day thinking they had the upper-hand.” She gives both Ethan and Benny a hug that almost breaks their necks as Erica and Rory walk up to them. “Thank you guys so much for helping out on Saturday. We are getting so many points for Spirit Week this year, and I can’t wait to rub it all in Ciara Hansberry’s stupid face.”

Ethan and Benny are finally released from Sarah’s excited yet deadly grip. “We’re happy we helped out Sarah.” Ethan says as he rubs his neck which will surely bruise. “I honestly didn’t except it to come out this great.”

“Neither did I,” Erica adds, giving her best friend a smirk, “but I gotta say, this might be the best Holiday Hallway I’ve ever seen. The dorkiness of it all gives it a nice touch too.” She nods her head at the life-size Addams Family picture plastered to the wall.

“Wait a minute.” Benny goes to inspect. “How did we get this to look so realistic? Is this a painting or a poster? I’m confused.”

Sarah shrugs. “No idea. But the stress of it all is finally over, which means I can now move on and enjoy this holiday while I’m still young and able. Do you guys have anything fun planned for Halloween?”

Ethan opens his locker to start putting some books away and grab is lunch. “Benny, Rory, and I just planned on wearing some masks and going trick-or-treating early before all the little kids make it too crowded and hectic.”

Rory visibly becomes excited by this. “I heard the trick-or-treating action’s gonna be insane this year because of some big sale at Walmart or something. We might actually get some good stuff this year instead of tootsie rolls and baby carrots.”

“What’s wrong with tootsie rolls?” Benny says defensively, leaning against the lockers next to Ethan.

“Are you kidding me?” Rory says. “They’re like rolled up lumps of mud. Last time I ate one I was in the hospital for 4 days getting my stomach pumped!”

“That’s probably not because of the tootsie rolls buddy.” Benny pats Rory’s shoulder. The blond just huffs. “That’s probably from the actually lumps of mud you used to eat.”

“Alright anyways,” Sarah says before the conversation can turn somewhere nobody wants it to, “Malik Marshall is having this huge Halloween party. Y’know, the one he has every year at his huge mansion that he’s always bragging about.” She rolls her eyes at the detail, pretending to be annoyed. “It’s supposed to be super big, and I think it’ll be nice if we all dress up and go as a group.”

“That sounds like fun. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really invited to Malik Marshall’s party, so I think I’ll have to pass on that one.” Ethan closes his locker and the group start their journey to the lunchroom.

“I wasn’t invited either.” Benny adds. “But it’s alright, not that I was hurt by the lack of an invite or anything. Malik’s parties are usually just his way of showing off how super rich and well of he is by higher Skrillex, putting plexiglass in his pool, and renting an entire trampoline park. I mean, how pretentious can one person get?” Benny tries to act like he’s annoyed when in truth he’s jealous of the more popular kids who get invited to that party every year and post about it on Instagram. And it always looks like a ton of fun. And Malik probably blows mega bucks on it too. He got Post Malone to perform last year. Post Malone!

“He didn’t rent out an entire trampoline park.” Sarah retorts, almost defensively. “He just got a couple of them imported for the party. Big whoop.” Sarah ignores the way Benny blanches at the word ‘imported’. “Point is nobody is every formally invited to Malik’s party. He just posts about it on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and anywhere else. Everyone is invited so long as you know about it or at least go to Whitechapel High. And it would be really fun if we all went. We could even entire the costume contest!”

“Costume contest?” Benny perks up at the mention of a costume contest. “I’m listening.”

Sarah chuckles. “Basically everyone who comes to the party wearing a costume is automatically entered, and at the end of the night a winner is picked. And there’s a huge prize that comes with it. And Malik Marshall is loaded so you can expect the prize to be good.”

“Sarah sweetie you had me at huge prize.” Benny’s excitement is heard over the low rumble of the cafeteria as they entire through the doors. “Ooh I can’t wait to show up to that party and wow everyone with my costume now. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to be something worthwhile for Halloween since I eighth grade, and here it is finally. I’m gonna crush this costume contest, you guys just wait.” The group sit at their normal table as Benny speaks excitedly. He usually dresses up as cheesy things like Superman or Captain America, and never anything super impressive like he’s always wanted to. But finally, he’s getting the chance to go all out and show everyone what he can do with some body paint and liquid latex.

Like he said, he’s not taking AP Art and Animation for nothing.

“Oh please.” Erica drawls as they take out their lunch. “That costume contest is bullshit. Malik rigs it each year so whatever hoe he’s dating can win. It’s no coincidence that Valery Simms won last year dressed like a dollar store pumpkin. I’d be surprised if someone with talent actually wins this year.”

“Never fear my dear blonde friend,” Benny shrinks at Erica’s glare, “none of Malik’s girlfriends will be able to defeat the masterpiece I have in store.”

“What makes you so confident?” Ethan mumbles in between bites of his sandwich.

“Last year’s Comic Con to be exact. My Avatar cosplay was so dope, I looked like I stepped right out of Pandora.”

“Yeah, if Pandora was attacked by a huge blowtorch.” Ethan snorts, to which Benny deflates. “You’re costume melted before we even got to the convention. You looked like a really bad Avatar popsicle.”

“It’s not my fault the prosthetics melted! How was I supposed to know they were a knock off brand?” Benny tried exceptionally hard to dress up as the blue people of Pandora last year, and to make it look as realistic as possible for the off chance of meeting Zoe Saldana. It’s too bad the prosthetics he got were from a shady website that wasn’t in English. In hindsight he probably should have been more careful. “What do you know about cosplaying and dressing up anyway? The most complex thing you’ve ever been was Chucky that one time in fifth grade.”

“Maybe I have some ideas for Halloween as well. Some great ideas too.” Ethan’s matter of fact tone does nothing to deter Benny.

“Oh yeah? Let’s hear them then.”

Ethan clears his throat. He hasn’t actually told anyone his ideas yet and, well, he’s a bit nervous about it. Not that Benny needs to be aware of that. “Well, at first I wanted to try dressing up as the Joker, Heath Ledgers version to be exact. But everyone is going to dress up as him this year because nobody has original ideas anymore, so I was think about giving Venom a go—”

“Venom!” Benny’s laugh is loud and dramatic and grabs the attention of a few bystanders. “You think you can pull of Venom? Have you seen the prosthetics that go into that character? And the CGI? Ethan not to be mean or anything, but you can barely carve a pumpkin without hurting yourself. What makes you think you can successfully become Venom?”

Ethan glares at his boyfriend challengingly. “Well what’s your idea, since you think you’re the expert at Halloween and costumes and all of that.”

“I was going to leave it as a surprise to really knock your socks off, but since you asked nicely…” Benny pauses for dramatic effect. The only one really effected by this is Ethan. Everyone else looks bored and afraid. “You’re looking at Whitechapels very own Hellboy!”

“Ha!” Benny jumps a little at Ethan’s outburst. “Hellboy? Let me get this straight. I’m somehow incapable of becoming Venom for Halloween, but you think you can pull off a decent Hellboy? Wow, thanks for the laugh baby, you really had me going there.”

Benny glares. “That’s a lot of smack talk coming from someone who’s only cosplay experience is dressing up as Optimus Prime for a six year-old’s birthday party.”

“I made $200 from that one party for your information. And I made the costume myself so yeah, I think I do have enough experience to tell you your Hellboy is going to end in a puddle just like your Avatar.”

“Yeah, and your Venom is going to end breaking your mom’s garbage disposal just like last year’s Pikachu attempt—”

“We don’t talk about last year’s Pikachu attempt you dick!”

“And that’s exactly why I’m going to dress up as Hellboy this year, and I’m going to win that costume contest and shove it in everyone’s face. Especially yours.” Benny points at Ethan, who slaps his hand out of the way a tad bit aggressively.

“You got it all wrong buddy, because I’m going to pull of the best Venom Ontario has every seen, and I’m going to win that contest, and laugh right in your face.”

“Fine E.” Benny slams his hand on the table and stands. “You want a costume war? You’ve got one. And may the best man win.”

“Fine!” Ethan stands too, matching Benny’s stance and glare.

“Fine!” Benny repeats. The two glare at each other for a few more seconds (which gets far too intense and uncomfortable for something this silly) before storming off to… well, nobody knows where. Their lunch is completely forgotten, and Erica, Sarah, and Rory are left equally scared and confused by the argument that just happened. Sarah sighs. She should have known better than to bring up a conversation like Halloween costumes when both boys are the biggest nerds she’s ever met in her life. And now she’s started something she’s not sure either will be able to finish.

What even is her life?

“So,” Rory starts, rather timidly, “do either of you want to hear what my costume is?” His question is met with two groans and he shuts his mouth immediately.

Another few seconds of silence (and peace) pass before Erica realizes something.

“Hang on. Did Ethan just call Benny, baby?”

* * *

The two boys are out of the cafeteria for maybe two seconds (still incredibly heated from the previous argument) before Benny roughly grabs Ethan by the forearm and drags him into the nearest empty classroom.

In all honesty, that argument left them both rather hot. And bothered.

Benny somehow manages to lock the door to the room while also pinning Ethan against it and smashing into his lips, causing the smaller teen to gasp upon impact. Benny uses the opportunity to slide his tongue into Ethan’s mouth which catches Ethan off guard and makes the heat he feels increase rapidly. The groan that escapes the back of his throat is involuntary. However, Ethan doesn’t give in so willingly. He lightly nibbles on Benny’s bottom lip while sliding his hands underneath the brunets t-shirt. Benny becomes putty at the contact, giving Ethan the opening to slide his tongue past Benny’s, claiming dominance in his mouth. Benny presses his body harder against Ethan’s, somehow finding it in him to grab Ethan’s wrists and pin his arms against the door next to his head. Their tongues collide against each other, and Ethan wrestles a wrist out of Benny’s grasp and snakes his fingers into the tendrils of Benny’s hair. He pulls on Benny’s hair until the taller boy releases his lips. Ethan leaves a trail of kisses along Benny’s neck. A low moan escapes Benny’s throat and he releases Ethan’s other wrist, which promptly finds its way around Benny’s waist, pulling the boy closer. Benny forgets just about everything. The fact that they’re in a classroom, what class he has next, his own name. All that’s registering is the sensation of Ethan’s soft lips on his neck and the thoughts running freely through his mind…

“You had all that bark in there, huh. Where’s the bite though?” Ethan grumbles in Benny’s ear which turns red from Ethan’s breath ghosting across it.

Benny chuckles. “Baby I always got bite for you.” Benny claims Ethan’s lips again, dragging his teeth on his boyfriend’s bottom lip. “Just like how Hellboy’s gonna bite Venom right in the ass come Halloween night.”

“Venom will have his tongue down Hellboy’s throat if he keeps talking that smack.” Ethan licks along Benny’s lower lip before sucking on it until Benny moans again, and wow is that music to his ears.

“Mmh, baby you’re so fucking hot when you’re riled up and talking like that.” Benny runs his hands along Ethan’s sides, making him shudder. “We gotta argue about nerdy stuff more often if it gets you like this afterwards.”

Ethan giggle’s, taking the moment to look into Benny’s green eyes for the first time since entering the classroom. Benny stares back, the heat from before still present as a result of both the argument and the make-out session they just had. Well, the make-out session was mostly a result of the argument, which at first had them slightly aggravated but left them weirdly turned on for whatever reason. They’re not sure if it was just because of the moment, or their proximity, or what else. But they’ll be damned if this isn’t their hottest make-out session to date.

However, they are still in a school. They’re in a classroom to be exact. A teacher or student could come by at any second and try to get in and though the door is locked, anyone can take one look at their flushed faces and swollen lips and figure out exactly what was going on behind closed doors.

Ethan kisses Benny again, this time softer and gentler where the previous one was hungry and aggressive. Benny kisses back, cupping Ethan’s cheeks with his hands. They eventually pull apart before things can escalate again.

“We should probably go.” Ethan says breathlessly to which Benny nods. As much as he would enjoy staying in this room with Ethan kissing each other senselessly, that option would not be beneficial to either of them in the long run.

Benny presses one last kiss to Ethan’s lips before moving him aside and opening the door. He looks back at Ethan before fully walking out and smirks. “I’m stilling crushing you in that contest though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was becoming too long, and the second half needs a ton of revision, so part 2 will be up soon! Thank you to everyone who's left a comment or Kudos!
> 
> -THEBLACKAGENDA


	5. Costume War! part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Belated Halloween.
> 
> Here's part 2 of the Halloween plot. Enjoy it guys

Finally, the anticipated day has come. The day the strong is chosen amongst the weak. The day the best of the best is picked as victor, and the rest bask in their glory. The day one man (or woman) stands alone as champion, while everyone else bows before them in shamefulness. Judgement Day.

Or, Halloween day (to be less dramatic, but Ethan’s a theater kid so leave him be).

Ethan’s spent the better part of the week running around all of god damn Whitechapel like a crazy person getting supplies and preparing his Venom costume so he’d be ready for Malik Marshall’s party. And after all the hassle, he’s confident in saying that he’s rather impressed with what he’s managed to do in only four days. It’s amazing what body paint, a bald cap, and lots of liquid latex can do when given the right amount of time.

Ethan stares at himself in his full length mirror, admiring the work he’s done. He completely DIYed the costume (because it is not at all easy to find costumes the week of Halloween. Why did he stress himself out with this again? Oh right. Because of Benny) by taking a very good quality muscle suit costume and spraying it black (which took so many cans of spray paint. He still can’t get the smell out of his nostrils). He added rips and used paper-mâché and liquid latex to make the skin look similar to the tar like consistency of Venoms in the movies. He managed to blend the neckline of the muscle suit with his own skin (thank you YouTube) so it looks realistic and less like a costume. Half his face is painted black with liquid latex, toilet paper and fake skin attached to give the effect of Venom taking over his face. He also attached half a bald cap to his head, which made drawing in the white eye on his left side a much easier job. He had some difficulty when it came to the mouth, but Ethan put it together well. He made the teeth out of fake nails (a tip he learned from Erica) and attached them to his face using eyelash glue (another tip from Erica) and, you guessed it. Liquid latex.

But it’s Ethan’s eye that really pulls the entire look together and makes him stand out more than he already does. It took a good ten minutes and one hefty mental breakdown, but his left eye is completely whited out with the best white contact lens money could buy. He paid more than he really wanted to for it and had to go to a very sketchy neighborhood. But it’s okay, because when he arrives at that party, shocks everyone with his costume, and wins the costume contest, it’ll all be worth it.

Not to mention he’s so gonna knock Benny’s socks off with this look. The taller teen won’t even see it coming.

Ethan tries his best not to smile in fear of ruining everything he’s worked so hard on. It looks amazing, better than he even thought it would look. He was afraid that he was in over his head when he agreed to do this, but after the spat he had with Benny he couldn’t back out. He had to stand his ground and prove that he can in fact pull of an amazing cosplay. Despite the mental break downs that come with it.

And he most certainly can! Honestly he’d give Tom Hardy a run for his money.

And Ethan can’t wait for Benny to see it. Benny is so going to eat his words when he sees the amazing job Ethan’s done. Hellboy my ass!

He’s excited now. For the contest, for the party, and for Benny to see it. And not only because he wants Benny to completely shit his pants (because he does). But Ethan is legitimately proud of how good of a job he did dressing up as Venom. He put in a ton of effort to look as realistic as possible, and honestly he really wants to impress his boyfriend and for him to be proud. It’s no question that Benny is a great artist, and things like this are right up his alley. So Ethan has no doubt that Benny’s going to make Hellboy look almost exactly like the movies. But Ethan just wants to prove he can do it as well, and maybe, just maybe, he and Benny will be able to bond over this in the future.

And if he wins the costume contest, that’s cool too.

As if on cue, the doorbell rings. Ethan jumps, knocking down all the contents on top of his dresser. Since Sarah is the only one in the group with a license (and a car), she agreed to carpool the group to the party, picking up Ethan last since he’s the last house on the way to there. So, in his anxiousness and excitement, Ethan yells, “I’ll get it!” And flies down the stairs, running past Jane and nearly knocking down the piano bench in his living. In theory, he should have checked to see who was at the door before flinging it open and getting into character. Because had he done that, he wouldn’t be met with—

“Ahhhhhhh!”

—three terrified 12 year-old girls.

Ethan wants to facepalm but doesn’t because that will just ruin the costume. He groans and apologizes to the now shivering Wonder Woman, Queen of Hearts, and Moana, and silently begs them not to cry because with his luck, they just might.

“Nice job idiot. You’ve successfully scarred my friends for life.” Jane appears next to him. From what Ethan can tell she’s put a lot of effort into her look as Harley Quinn, short shorts and bat and blonde pigtails and everything (why did his mom allow her to dress like this?!). The older brother sirens go off in his head as she chomps on a piece of gum clearly in character. “Please ignore my psychopathic brother. He was dropped off a roof as a baby.”

“Oh, Jane I just remembered. The orphanage called. Mom and dad finally got approved for that refund they’ve been asking for. You should be getting sent back to Switzerland next week.” Ethan deadpans.

Jane doesn’t flinch. “And the award for Emotionally and Psychologically traumatizing a bunch of seventh graders goes to Ethan Morgan. How many years will it be? 35 or 50?”

Ethan sneers at the smug look on her face. “Teehee. Just be careful. And if you get any Airheads save them for me.” He doesn’t really need to remind her. Every year she’s been saving all the Airhead’s she gets just for him, so long as he saves every single pack of Twizzlers for her. They’ve done this ever since they stopped trick-or-treating as a family (or since 12 year-old Ethan deemed it uncool to go trick-or-treating with his parents and little sister). Only this year, Ethan won’t be going trick-or-treating since he’s going to the party.

Doesn’t matter though. He has a few packs of Twizzlers hidden in his room to give to his sister at the end of the night, just to keep up tradition. She’ll be happy regardless.

“I’ll think about it!” Jane calls over her shoulder as she walks down the stairs with her friends who continue to suspiciously eye Ethan. He wants to apologize again, or at least tell them not to tell their parents. But that might make the situation weirder than it needs to be.

“By the way Benny’s here!”

“God dammit Jane.” Ethan hears somewhere below the porch. “You ruined my grand entrance.”

Jane shrugs as she and her friend group make their way down the street. Ethan steps onto the porch at the same time Benny appears from his hiding place and…

Wow.

Ethan tries hard to not let his jaw drop (it took him too god damn long to attach the fake nails, and he’ll be damned if they fall off tonight!). Ethan let’s his eyes skirt over the completely red muscle suit Benny has on, the pecks, abs, and other muscles contoured to appear more dramatic. The goatee and sideburns on his face make him look older, and the red paint, horn stumps, and yellow contacts make him look dangerous. The trench coat covers most of his upper body with the Right Hand of Doom sticking out of the sleeve. The entire thing is finished off with fake yet super realistic guns strapped to the utility belt around his jeans, which hangs pretty low on his hips.

The entire thing is fantastic!

And hot.

Ethan hates to admit it to himself though.

But he would be lying if he said he isn’t at all impressed with the costume. Of course he was expecting something pretty extravagant, but what Benny’s done here exceeds all expectations. He looks as though he stepped right out the freaking movies like it was normal. And Benny fits the part quiet literally, with his flamboyant and witty personality. He stands in Ethan’s front lawn as though he’s always been Hellboy, and not like he’s dressed up as a fictional character for Halloween.

Did Ethan expect anything less from the amazingly theatrical and dramatic Benny Weir? Nope.

Benny sizes up Ethan and crosses his arms. “Parasite.”

Ethan mirrors Benny’s stance as best he can with the Venom claws. “Demon.”

Benny’s eyes travel up and down Ethan’s body causing him to blush (but you wouldn’t know that with all the body paint #JokesOnYou). “I see you had the same idea as me in utilizing a muscle suit.”

“Bold of you to assume I didn’t already have these muscles.”

“Huh. Touché.” Benny smirks which, coupled with his Hellboy entourage, makes Ethan blush harder. “Your eye is a nice tough. Very Fetty Wap of you.”

“Yeah, it’s what I was going for.” Ethan snorts. He rubs his chin. “I like the addition of the goatee. Gives off major Tony Stark vibes. Y’know, if he were from the depth of hell.”

Benny smiles sheepishly. “I’ll take that as a complement. And I gotta say, your Venom costume came out pretty good.”

“Thanks.” Ethan nods. “And this Hellboy thing you got going on looks great as well. And it suits you too. Guess you learned better than to order costume supplies from remote areas in Turkey.”

“Guess you learned not to rely on cardstock, hot glue, and staples.” Benny retorts.

“I told you, we don’t talk about the Pikachu attempt.” Ethan says smoothly, no real bite behind his words.

“I know.” Benny smirks, his eyes continuing to travel the length of Ethan’s body. His eyes drag from Ethan’s collarbones down to his legs and work their way back up, causing a shiver to run down his spine. It feels unmistakably like Benny is undressing him with his eyes, and the longer they stand there, the hotter Ethan feels. It’s a heat that starts in his face, runs down his arms and legs, and travels right into his toes. He can’t tell if it’s from the muscle suit, or how tense he is, or how much he wants to rip the costume from Benny’s body and kiss him senseless—

“Are you two just going to stare each other to death or are we gonna get going?” Both boys are broken out of their little show down/flirting (if you squint) as Sarah and Erica, or a very convincing Kim Possible and Shego, appear in Ethan’s front yard. How long have they been there? “If we don’t leave now, we’ll be later than what’s socially acceptable. And I didn’t spend all month looking for a weave in this exact shade of red for nothing.”

“Y-yeah we’re coming.” Ethan’s voice cracks and he has to shove the mental image of ripping Benny’s costume off far away from his mind before he literally melts. He and Benny give each other one last glance, silently agreeing to pull themselves together before they say or do something risky. Ethan quickly closes his front door, and the group pile into Sarah’s parked Honda Accord. Ethan and Benny sit in the back while Erica takes shotgun (because it’s her right as Sarah’s best friend or whatever bullshit she said).

“So, what do you guys think? Pretty amazing right?” Ethan asks as Sarah backs out of his driveway.

“Yeah, yeah it’s alright.” Benny starts before Sarah or Erica can get a word in. He firmly slaps the abs on the body suit. “But what really matters is what do you think of all of this right here? A lot of hard work went into getting this six pack. They don’t just make abs like this y’know.”

“I’m pretty sure they do.” Ethan snorts and Benny glares. At this point his only real reason for riling Benny up is to get this exact reaction. It’s extremely cute. “But go ahead. Keep talking about how amazing your store bought muscles are. By the way, you forgot to cut off the laundry tag right there.”

“Alright, you know what—”

“The two of you have two seconds to quit it before I throw you out of this car and you become rode kill.” Shego aka Erica turns in her seat and hisses, fangs out and eyes yellowed. “I am not sitting in this car for the next fifteen minutes listening to you two fight over two stupid fictional characters like you’re in third grade. Either shut the hell up or I will make you shut the hell up. Understand?” Ethan and Benny both nod, the horror-struck expressions on their faces a contrast to their costumes. “Good. Ugh. I can’t wait to get to this party already. The past two weeks have been the worst. I’ve needed an excuse to get drunk all month, and an excuse that wouldn’t make me an alcoholic.”

“Can vampires even get drunk?” Ethan asks.

“Well, not technically. But nothings impossible once you know the right people.” Erica mischievously smirks as she eyes Benny in the back seat. “You got the stuff I asked for?”

Benny pulls a small vile from one of his pockets, giving the clear liquid a shake before handing it to her. “Yup. Freshly made, tested, and vampire approved. And best of its kind if I might add. But remember, do not exceed one drop of this thing per drink. More than that can be detrimental to you and others. And I’m not kidding. Ask me later to tell you about the Smoking Earthquake of ’62.”

Ethan looks between Benny and Erica in confusion. “What even is that?”

“Vampire drugs.” Sarah pipes in without taking her eyes from the road. “It’s vampire drugs.”

“It is not vampire drugs for the millionth time.” Benny protests. “Those are illegal to manufacture. This is a very legal, and very safe alcohol additive. Since vampires don’t get affected by alcoholic beverages or other substances, I brewed up a potion that, with the right dosage, will allow any vampire that consumes it to get that nice alcoholic buzz just like anyone else would. It’s safe, I promise. And surprisingly easy to make.”

“Oh please. I have yet to believe that anything you brew up is safe for consumption Benny.” Sarah says, to which Benny pouts and Ethan and Erica snicker. “Your track record isn’t really clean or credible. Your basement has the stains to prove it.”

“My track record is very much clean and credible and I’ve been practicing! Grandma can vouch for me! I’ve been putting in my potions hours!”

“Just last week you burnt tea.” Sarah retorts. “And not even two months ago you drugged your best friend in an attempt to expose Greek mythology. Do you really expect me to believe you can be trusted with potions?”

“It’s not like something good didn’t come out of it.” Ethan mutters and nearly slaps a hand over his mouth because fucking hell! He did not mean to say that out loud! He and Benny glance at each other, the same panicked look written on their faces.

“Something good like what?” Sarah asks, glancing at the two boys in the rearview mirror.

Ethan’s face pales. “I-I, do-uhh, um, h-hey weren’t we also supposed to get Rory too?” Ethan quickly changes the subject, hoping nobody realizes. “I think we already passed his house.”

“Oh right, Rory.” She takes the bait and drops the subject. “I called him earlier. To see if he wanted a ride, but he said he would just meet us there. Something about needing extra time with his costume or whatever. Told us to just go on without him. Did anyone ever find out what he’s dressing up as?”

“No.” The three of them shake their heads. They haven’t seen much of Rory all week, only really seeing him during class or passing in the hallway. He’s seemed just as busy as the rest of them with Halloween preparations, if not more. And on top of that, he refuses to tell anyone what his costume idea is. Ethan assumed the other vampire wasn’t going as anything, or was just going to be something simple.

Whatever it is, Ethan’s positive it can’t be anything more extravagant than himself or Benny.

The rest of the car ride passes quickly, and they’re soon parking about a block away from where the party is being held. From what they can see, most parking spots within a five block radius are taken, which means that the party must be really full, and they got lucky with the spot they found. Benny gawks at the monstrosity of the Marshall’s mansion as they trudge up the very long and very smooth walkway that leads to the very large front door. Various generic Halloween decorations liter the front lawn, as do party goers who are either drinking, smoking, vaping, or making out. The loud bass can be heard from outside, and the moment the group open the doors, the music spills out onto the front steps as does a thick white fog that envelops their feet.

And somehow the inside is even bigger than the outside.

The entrance opens up into a grand living room, which has been transformed into a dance floor. A DJ booth is set up in the corner where a dark skin guy with a mohawk successfully transitions from the Black Eyed Peas to Cardi B, which causes the crowd to rave more than they were before. The lights alternate from red, to purple, to blue, to red again, and fake fog encircles their feet and litters the floor. The huge speakers have water in them that splashes up with the beat of the song playing. A photobooth has been set up with various Halloween themed props and backdrops. And somebody comes up to the group and hands them flashing necklaces that reads “Malik’s Halloween Bash 2019”.

Ethan and Benny’s eyes feel like they’re bugging out as they taken in the entirety of the party. It looks insane, like something out of a movie, only better.

Almost everyone is dressed in a costume, whether it be something extravagant or a simple mask or cat ears. Ethan spots an impressive Invader Zim making out with Alice in Wonderland and… is that Freddie Mercury in the kitchen? There are honestly a lot of creative ideas, but Ethan nearly sighs in relief when he sees nothing that compares to Venom. Or Hellboy for that matter.

“So this is what a high school party looks like.” Benny shouts over the thumping music as it changes to Avicii.

“No, this is what a rich boys high school party looks like.” Erica shouts, trying her best to look unimpressed by the lights and music and decorations. A senior girl passes by holding a try of orange and black Jell-O shots. Erica swipes one from the tray and throws it back in one gulp. She crushes the small cup in her fingers. “I used to enjoy drinking those.”

“Is my secret recipe not good enough for you Erica?” A silky voice behind them catches their attention and makes them turn. Malik Marshall, in all his tall dark suave, saunters over to them decked out in an expensive looking Black Panther costume, flashing them a too perfect smile. “I tried to get the Jell-O to Vodka ration just right, but hey. There’s always room for improvement.” Erica’s eyes roll so far back into her head Ethan’s afraid she’s being possessed.

Malik turns his attention to Sarah. “And just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better, it just did. So glad you could make it out tonight Sarah. This really wouldn’t have been a memorable party without your beautiful face here to light up the room.”

Sarah rolls her eyes. “Right, as if you haven’t been begging me to show up for the past month. But I have to admit the party’s great. It looks like you put a lot of thought into it. Not overly big and flashy like last year’s events. Congratulations, you’ve learned to take constructive criticism.”

Malik chuckles, features not at all reacting to Sarah’s words. Her eyes never leave his, as if they’re both challenging each other, or like a conversation they can only understand is happening between them. Ethan wonders whether he should be looking the other way or giving them more privacy. “I see you’ve brought some more guests.” Malik finally speaks.

Sarah blinks. “R-right.” Sarah exclaims, suddenly remembering her friends who are standing right behind her wondering why she was undressing Malik with her eyes. “Um, well, you obviously know Erica, or the Shego to my Kim.” Erica nods at him, the annoyance written clear on her face. “Hellboy over here is Benny Weir, and Venom is Ethan Morgan. This is their first time coming to one of your parties, so play nicely please.”

“Come on Sarah,” Malik says playfully, draping an arm around the shorter girl, “I treat all my guests with the utmost hospitality. You of course know this.” Sarah blushes (vampires aren’t supposed to blush, right?) but rolls her eyes. “Erica, good to see you again. I promise to work on my mixed drink recipes just for you. Gentlemen, nice to meet you, and welcome to my humble abode. Make yourselves at home, except for in my parents’ room. It’s the only locked door upstairs and if you get in, I’ll have to assume you’re a trained spy. Or a serial killer. Drinks are in the kitchen, so help yourselves. Feel free to make use of the photobooth, pool table’s, and movie room. Relax, mingle, and just enjoy because Halloween only comes once a year.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to discuss with Sarah in private. You guys enjoy yourselves.” He flashes them his too perfect smile again before pulling Sarah in the opposite direction. She gives the group an apologetic glance before allowing Malik to whisk her off to god knows where.

Erica scoffs. “Of course she’d ditch us for an expensive dick appointment. Why am I not surprised?” She shakes her head. “Anyways, I’m off to find the alcohol and give this buzz elixir a test run. You boys enjoy yourselves but not too much.”

“Hang on, wait.” Benny exclaims before Erica can move. “You’re just gonna leave us? By ourselves?”

The best way to explain the look Erica gives them is duh. “Uh, yeah. It’s a party. You don’t need a babysitter supervising you the whole damn time.”

“B-but,” Benny stutters in a panic, “we’ve never been to a party like this before! We don’t know anyone else! How are we supposed to conduct ourselves properly if you leave us to our own devices?”

“Just chill out. You need to at least pretend you know how to act at a party. It’s not that hard.” Her features soften a bit as the panic grows in Benny’s yellowed eyes (good Lord she better not be forming a soft spot for these dorks). “Look, it’s a big house with plenty to do. Find something that makes you guys feel comfortable. Drink, meet some people, play a game, get high maybe. I don’t know. Just don’t be completely socially awkward for one night of your lives and have some fun.” There’s some sincerity behind her words. Just a smidge of it.

It relaxes Benny just a smidge.

Erica finally disappears in the direction of the kitchen. Benny and Ethan are left by themselves in the middle of a party.

A high school party.

Ethan gulps

He’s seen Mean Girls, Project X, and other high school based movies to have an idea how these parties can be. And if those are even a tad bit realistic, he’d rather not navigate it without someone who knows the ins and outs. Neither boy has any idea what they’re supposed to do now. They have no other friends other than the two that ditched them and the one that’s late. They’re horrible dancers and lack most basic social skills. And it’s their first time at a huge high school party.

Who can blame them for feeling overwhelmed?

Benny becomes tenser as the seconds go by. The longer they’re left alone, the more dread and panic he feels. If there’s one thing he hates, it’s being left alone in an unfamiliar place with no guidance or no way to get around by himself. Especially when there’s a crowd present. And that accompanied with the dimly colored lights, the fog, the loud music, and the various smells in the air is enough to make the anxiety he feels spike up fast. He has a sudden urge to bolt right out the door to where the air is fresh and he can actually hear his thoughts, but then he remembers he’s in an unfamiliar part of town and has no idea how he’d get home.

This whole thing is starting to feel like a bad idea.

Ethan examines Benny’s face, recognizing the signs that he’s overwhelmed and possibly about to have a nervous breakdown. He shuffles closer to the taller boy and discretely squeezes his hand. Benny snaps out of his inner turmoil and looks at Ethan. He gives his boyfriend a grateful, yet still anxious, smile, gripping his hand like it’s a lifeline.

“You okay?” Ethan shouts over the music.

“Could be better.” Benny’s breath comes out slightly staggered.

“You wanna walk around a bit? Find the pool table maybe?” Benny nods. Moving around is good. Might take his mind off the agoraphobia.

They begin the tedious (and difficult) job of navigating through the crowd of dancing and sweaty bodies. And when they say difficult, they mean extremely difficult. The dance floor is packed like sardines, to the point where people are standing on sofas, armchairs, and coffee tables to dance. Ethan and Benny have to try extra hard to avoid accidentally getting grinded on by one of their classmates. They also have to try hard to not accidently grind on someone. They don’t even know the how to grind! They can’t dance need I remind you!

They eventually make their way off the dance floor and find the pool tables situated near a sliding door (which is open letting in fresh air thank goodness). The music is thankfully not as loud in this particular part of the house. Benny immediately lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, the building panic fading away. They catch the attention of a few people playing pool, who double take at the sight of their costumes. They spot an empty loveseat next to a girl dressed as The Purge and collapse in it, already feeling exhausted after only being here for ten minutes.

Maybe parties aren’t really for them.

“You know,” Benny starts, “this isn’t at all what I envisioned a high school party would be.” Ethan nods in agreement.

“I think it’s just getting started actually.”

Ethan and Benny both look up to where the voice is coming from, eyes landing on the girl in the lit up Purge mask. She holds a bloody knife loosely in her crossed arms. Benny, who is sitting closest to her, leans away a bit. “Listen, it’d be more beneficial for everyone if you don’t murder me tonight.”

The girls laughs and lifts the mask, giving Benny a very amused smile.

“Char! Hey!” Benny’s face lights up, which says a lot since his entire face is red. Ethan tries to not let that make him upset. “Good to see you again. I didn’t know you’d be here, but I also didn’t know I’d be here ‘til Monday.”

“I had to see what all the hype’s about.” She takes her mask off completely and leans against the armrest. “All I’ve heard for the past two weeks was people talking about this party, so I had to experience it for myself. So far, it’s living up to my expectations, though the house is bigger than expected.” She gives Benny a once over, examining his costume. Ethan can’t shake the voice telling him she’s checking him out. “And I see you don’t disappoint when it comes to Halloween costumes.”

Benny pats the “abs”. “Costume? Please, my body is naturally this sculpted. Dwayne Johnson quacks in my presence.” The snort Ethan let’s out must remind Benny that his boyfriend (emphasis on that) is still sitting right next to him. Benny wraps an arm around his shoulders. “This is my best friend Ethan. Ethan, this is Char. We met last Saturday. She saved me from those wretched spider-webs and I gave her pumpkins a makeover.” Benny beams as he looks between Ethan and Char. Ethan can tell Benny’s waiting for him to say something, and go away probably isn’t acceptable. He musters up the best smile he can.

“Hi.” He gives her a small wave.

“Hey.” She checks him out just like she did with Benny, which makes Ethan uncomfortable. “Venom huh? Nicely done. I love the white contact. Gives it a nice touch.”

“Thanks. Um, nice Purge costume.” Ethan awkwardly gestures to the bloody white button up and black shorts she’s wearing.

“Oh, this?” She points at herself. “Ehh, this was just a last minute thing. The Purge is so generic and overdone. And yet here I am dressed like it on Halloween night.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely deducting points for lack of creativity.” Benny says. “Plus, The Purge is probably the most American thing you could possibly be for Halloween.”

“Hey, I gotta remind everyone where I’m from somehow.” She playfully retorts. “And like I said, this was last minute. It’s the last thing I wanted to be, but there’s not many options left when you plan out your costume a day before Halloween. Besides, I didn’t think I’d be celebrating but my dad is making me do this thing where I actually go outside and interact with kids my age so, here I am. Haven’t really interacted with anyone until right now but, y’know, baby steps.”

“Ethan and I don’t mind keeping you company.” Benny nudges the smaller boy, who jumps out of his train of thought at the sudden movement. “Right E?”

“Oh.” It takes a moment for it to register exactly what Benny’s asking of him. What he really wants to say is “Yes, I very much mind” but he knows that will just make Benny upset. And he just started relaxing and enjoying himself rather than getting overwhelmed with his agoraphobia. So, Ethan swallows back the not so nice things he really wants to say and mumbles, “Right. I don’t mind.”

“Awesome.” Char visibly perks up when he agrees. “I feel so much better now. This party was starting to get overwhelming.”

“I know, right?” Benny turns his body so he’s facing her. Ethan has to move over so they both have space to sit comfortably. “So many people! And everyone smells like sweaty alcohol! What’s up with that?”

* * *

“Who’s up for some beer pong!”

The trio look up from their conversation (which was mostly just Benny and Char chatting away like lifelong friends with Benny occasionally trying to include Ethan in the conversation but Ethan politely showing his disinterest). The beer pong table has been set up with red solo cups on each end. Ethan recognizes the people standing around the table from school and some of his classes, though he’s never really spoken to any of them and doesn’t know them too well.

Char turns to face the boys again. “Wanna play a round? This used to be my favorite drinking game back in Boston.”

Ethan shakes his head. “No, we don’t really know them so—”

“That sounds like fun!” Benny exclaims. “Ethan and I have never played though, so you’ll have to go easy on us.” Char giggles before getting up and walking over to the table.

Benny starts to get up before Ethan places a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Seriously Benny? Beer pong? We’re both terrible at sports and anything involving throwing objects. We’re going to make fools of ourselves.”

“I think you’re being a little dramatic.” Benny gives Ethan an unimpressed look. Only he would somehow suck the fun out of a party game like beer pong.

Ethan groans. “Benny I really don’t want to play. You and Scar—”

“Char.”

“—can enjoy yourselves. I’m just gonna sit here—”

“Oh, no you’re not.” Benny grabs Ethan’s wrist and pulls him off the couch. “You’re not going to spend your first high school party sitting in a corner and sulking while the rest of us have fun. We’re gonna play at least one game of beer pong, and after that if you want to sit and watch then by all means I won’t stop you.”

Ethan doesn’t have it in him to protest. He’d much rather sit out of this obvious opportunity for humiliation, but he knows Benny’s right. What’s the point of going to a party if you’re not going to at least participate in the activities? The least he can do is play one round of beer pong, even though he’s not too fond of the game. But it’ll make Benny happy, so he’ll just suck it up.

“Those are sick costumes.” One of the guys who Ethan recognizes from his English class says as they approach the table. He calls himself Wham even though his name is Harold or something like that, and he’s dressed as Spiderman with the mask off. “I’d bet money that one of you will win the contest later. Bro, is your eye white?” Wham get’s uncomfortably closer to Ethan’s face.

“Alright dude, give ‘em some space.” One of the other guys who’s wearing a varsity jacket (High School Musical possibly) says, gently pushing Wham to the side. “This is perfect! We’ve got enough players now! Venom, Hellboy, and a gorgeous Purge. Remind me to get your number later, alright Beautiful?” Char sneers at him but doesn’t respond.

Benny is ultimate placed on a team with Wham, a guy in the baby mask from ‘Happy Death Day’ who goes by Chrome, and a girl dressed like she was late to an AC/DC concert. Ethan and Char are on the team with varsity jacket guy (“Name’s Sam, aka the Sizzler”), and a Storm Trooper who insists on being called K-Bone (what is with these guys and nicknames?). Ethan’s not at all enthusiastic about being on the same team as Char. Actually, he almost ditches the game entirely. But like he said he’ll just have to suck it up. It’s just one game, right? It can’t hurt anyone. Right?

* * *

Well, one game turned into five pretty quickly.

It turns out beer pong is fun once you let loose a little and enjoy the game. And, with the right amount of geometry and physics, it’s quite simple. Ethan’s team ended up winning the first round (shocking, I know), and Wham demanded they play for best out of five. And yeah, Ethan knows he said he’d play only one game and that was it. And he knows he’s really pushing his luck because there’s no way he’s lucky enough to win twice in a row. But he’s actually starting to have fun, and he’s feeling less out of place and like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. The guys on his team are extremely cool and encouraging, and they’ve acquired a bit of a crowd as the game went on. Plus, the slight buzz he’s feeling is giving him the right amount of fuel to want to play as many rounds as he can.

So, here we are. Round five. Both teams with two wins. Whoever wins the next round is deemed champion. And it’s intense.

The crowd around them has increased in size, but the pressure of so many eyes on them only fuels the adrenaline. It’s currently Benny’s turn, and he exclaims, “Kobe!” as he tosses the little ball into one of the cups on the opposing side. The crowd near his side of the table cheers as the ball sinks into one of the cups. Ethan chuckles and takes the cup. He’s well past buzzed at this point, walking along the thin tightrope of being tipsy. But he can still see pretty straight, and the alcohol hasn’t affected his trajectory, so he throws back the contents of the cup and places it on the side. The burn of the alcohol stopped making him cringe three rounds ago.

Benny grabs a clean ball. “This next shot is dedicated to Mr. Heda in honor of the ten page paper he assigned that’s due Monday and worth 30% of our final grade. On the count of three everyone say it with me. One, two, three!”

Benny tosses the ball as he and a number of other people yell “Fuck you Heda!” The ball lands inside another cup, earning more applause. He high fives a couple of people before fist pumping the air. Ethan shakes his hand in amusement as he picks up the cup and fishes out the ball. “You guys had enough yet? We can call it even now and you can save yourselves the humiliation.” Benny gestures to the two cups Ethan’s side of the table has left with a smug smile. If they were in private Ethan would have devoured that smile with his lips. And if he wasn’t so tipsy he wouldn’t have had that thought just now.

Ethan smirks. “As the mighty Steve Rogers once said, I can do this all day.” He swallows the drink in one gulp, crushing the cup and throwing it to the side. He and Benny stare each other down, their gazes somewhere between competitive and sexual tension. He doesn’t remember when the game became Benny vs. Ethan rather than team A vs. team B. But it doesn’t look like anyone’s really complaining about it.

Benny sets up for the next toss. “This one is in honor of Malik Marshall, who has so graciously gathered us here at this party to witness the total annihilation that is about to happen.” With a smooth flick of his wrist, Benny releases the ball. There’s a couple of gasps as the ball soars through the air, everyone waiting in anticipation as it makes its way towards the other end of the table…

…and completely misses.

The little ball hits the rim of one of the two cups but falls to the ground. Benny’s smile drops as Ethan’s side of the crowd erupts in a chorus of “Ohhhhhhhhhhh”. They become excited at the turn of events as does the rest of Ethan’s team. They shake him as they give him words of encouragement. He hears a multitude of “You got this” and “Go Ethan” and “Let’s go Venom” as he picks up a ball and lines it up. Benny’s team has three cups left. He has a chance of winning this whole thing in one go as long as he calculates his aim correctly.

Ethan takes a second to make sure he’s in the right position before he tosses the ball. It sinks right into the cup closest to him. The crowd behind him cheers as Benny picks up the cup, swirls it a bit, and gulps it down. He’s not so cocky anymore now that the tables have turned now is he?

Ethan wastes no and makes the next shot almost effortlessly. Benny resentfully drinks that one too as he realizes that he just might lose and suddenly regrets all the boasting he was doing two minutes ago.

A shush falls around the room as Ethan prepares for the final shot. He’s beginning to sway onto the wrong side of tipsy (unless he’s already there) but his focus is nowhere near deterred. Everyone seems on the edge of their seat as they watch, including his own teammates. But Ethan is oddly relaxed. He’s pretty sure the alcohol is giving him confidence he doesn’t normally have, but it’s helped to get him this far in the game, hasn’t it?

Finally, Ethan tosses the ball. The ball bounces once on the table before landing squarely inside of the final cup. That gives his team three wins. His team has won the game.

There’s an uproar from the crowd behind him. His teammates engulf him in a hug as they jump up and down celebrating the win. People he doesn’t even know encircle him as they chant his name. He’s on a high at the moment, or maybe he’s properly drunk, but as they chant his name Ethan starts dancing. Yes. Dancing. With confidence he’s never had before. And the crowd encourages him and hypes him up as he shoots, flosses, milly rocks, ‘woahs’, and does every last trendy and iconic dance move he can think of. He’s probably going to regret this when he’s sobered enough to think correctly, but in this very moment he can’t think of a reason to not dance and celebrate. He actually feels like he’s living.

And if this feeling is wrong, then he doesn’t want to be right.

Eventually the crowd dwindles down as everyone goes back to the party. Benny maneuvers his way to Ethan and claps his shoulder in congratulations. “Wow E. That was a good game. You have skills that I’ve never seen before.”

Ethan nods smugly. “I especially liked the part where you lost. What was that you said before about humiliation?” Ethan repeatedly nudges Benny with his shoulder to which the taller boy laughs in amusement.

“Oh my god Ethan that was awesome!” Char throws an arm around him. Ethan’s too tipsy to care. “Next time there’s a party you’re definitely coming as my plus one. Sorry Benny, but I’m stealing your best friend from you. He’s mine now. You can’t have him.” She staggers a bit as she speaks. She’s not drunk but is respectably tipsy. But it’s important to know that neither she, nor Ethan, are drunk.

“A haha.” Benny laughs dryly at his two ‘not drunk’ friends.

Benny watches as Ethan and Char continue to drunkenly (sorry, tipsily) praise each other until the DJ scratches his record and ‘Lose Control’ by Missy Elliot blasts from the water speakers. Ethan and Char give each other the same shocked expression before Benny is being pulled onto the dance floor by Ethan with a grip that’s significantly stronger than it was at the beginning of the night. Before he knows it the three of them are in the middle of the dance floor, and Benny finds himself dancing along with everyone else. He feels awkward at first as he does dance moves his body isn’t used to, but eventually he stops thinking so much. Nobody expects him to dance perfectly anyway.

The only real reason he’s able to do this though is because of Ethan. While Char is basically still herself, Ethan’s personality has done a complete 360 with the help of alcohol. The raven haired boy who’s usually quiet, shy, and reserved, and never does anything to bring attention to himself, is oozing with confidence Benny has never seen before. He’s basking in the attention he’s getting, not even remotely self-conscious about it. He’s even dancing! Ethan never dances. And he’s not bad at it either. Which is saying a lot because, and I cannot stress this enough, Ethan doesn’t dance! But here he is in the middle of the dance floor doing the running man. And if Ethan can let go and have fun at a party, what’s stopping Benny from doing so too?

* * *

Another 45 minutes or so passes before the DJ lowers the volume of the music, which receives protests from some people. The lights come on as Malik Marshall steps up to the DJ booth, mic in hand. “Alright, alright, alright! Are y’all having a good time?”

The crowd cheers. Malik makes a show of cupping his ear as they do and shakes his head. “Nah, that didn’t sound right. I said, are y’all having a good time?!”

Everyone cheers significantly louder this time, Ethan, Benny, and Char included. More people gravitate to the dance floor from various parts of the house and the room becomes more crowded. But thankfully, it’s not uncomfortable.

Malik grins into the mic. “Now that’s what I like to hear. You guys have been an amazing crowd, and this party’s been lit. Best one to date, am I right?” Everyone claps in agreement. “Alright! Now, we’re gonna get back to having a good time, but before we do I think it’s about time we crown this years’ costume contest winner!” The DJ plays an airhorn sound effect.

Ethan’s stomach drops. He’s sobered up a bit from all the dancing and moving around, and his thoughts are a lot more coherent. But in the excitement of everything (beer pong, dancing, Char, etc) he completely forgot what the whole point of coming to this party was. A wave of anxiety smacks him in the face, and the stress he’s felt all week makes its appearance again. He looks to Benny, who seems to be having the same feelings as him. Ethan suddenly feels like throwing up and passing out at the same time.

“There you guys are!” Ethan’s head snaps in the direction of the voice. A highly irritated Sarah approaches them, fiery red hair flowing behind her like flames. “Have you guys seen Erica? I left her near the bathroom half an hour ago and she disappeared.”

Ethan shakes his head. “The last time we saw her was when she ditched us when we got here. Much like you did actually.” His words are heavier than he intended. Maybe he’s not as sober as he thought.

Sarah flinches. “Right. Sorry about that. Hope you guys weren’t too lost or overwhelmed. I know parties like this can be a bit much.”

“Actually, we’ve had a lot of fun.” Benny smiles. His costume has somehow stayed intact despite having danced for 45 minutes straight. His body under the muscle suit is probably drenched in five layers of sweat though.

Ethan nods. “I won beer pong.” Sarah looks at him impressed.

“And Ethan danced. Can you believe that?” Sarah’s eyes widen as she looks to Ethan for confirmation. He nods, blushing a bit.

“Wow. I guess you guys didn’t need much help finding your way around.” She smiles. “Now if I could only find Erica and make sure she’s not passed out in a bush, then we could all be happy.”

“Alright party people.” Malik comes back to the mic before they can say anything else. “The judges and I have finally come to a decision. There are a lot of great costumes, and I want everyone to clap for yourselves for looking amazing tonight.” He pauses, allowing the crowd to clap. “But there can only be one officially winner. Everybody ready?”

A hush falls on the crowd in anticipation. “Now, in fourth place,” the DJ plays a drum roll sound effect, “let’s hear it for Corpse Bride!”

Everyone claps, cheers, or woots as a girl dressed as Emily from ‘Corpse Bride’ walks onto the small stage near the DJ. Her costume is very realistic, like she spent all day perfecting it. Ethan and Benny clap as well. Everyone quiets down again.

“In third place,” cue the drumroll, “give it up for our resident demon Hellboy!”

“What?” Ethan exclaims. Benny waltz up to the DJ booth, fist bumping the air as the crowd cheers for him. But Ethan’s eyes nearly bug out of his head. “Third? Are they serious? Benny looks amazing! How did he only get third?” Ethan was sure Benny would win, if not get at least second place. But third is just an insult. Benny’s costume is many levels above anyone else’s here, including his own. Ethan’s more than upset by this. But Benny obviously isn’t as he continuously hypes up the party goers. Ethan pouts.

“In second place,” drumroll, “attacking a Spiderman near you, Venom!”

Ethan’s frozen to his spot. It takes about two seconds for everyone in the room to turn and look at him. He thinks they’re clapping but he can’t tell because of the ringing in his ear. He knows he needs to join the rest of the runner ups’ but he can’t seem to get his body to move correctly. The alcohol feels like it completely drained out of his body because he’s getting very uncomfortable by the many pairs of eyes staring at him.

It isn’t until Sarah squeezes his shoulder and says, “Go on. Go up there.” That Ethan snaps out of it and his body finally moves. The crowd parts a path for him to walk to the DJ easily and without bumping into anyone, which he’s grateful for. He finally gets on the small stage and stands next to Benny who discretely gives his side a squeeze. “You okay?”

“Um, yeah, I think so.” Ethan replies, looking Benny in his yellow eyes. He’s smiling, and Ethan gives him a sheepish smile back. “But wait. If you’re in third place, and I’m in second, then who’s—”

“And now, the moment you have all been waiting for.” Malik says dramatically into the microphone. “In first place, the prize goes to— hey! What’s going on?”

The lights suddenly flicker off, leaving the room in complete darkness. A few people scream while the confused chatter begins. Malik tries his best to calm the crowd even though he can’t see anything as he tries to figure out the problem, but everyone is silenced by the sound of what can only be described as the cackle of a demented clown.

The blood drains from Ethan’s face.

The lights come back on in an instant and the rest of the ‘It’ theme plays. Everyone screams in terror as Pennywise jumps onto the DJ booth in a crouch, balloon and buck-tooth smile and all. Ethan’s scream is louder than anyone else’s as he jumps into Benny’s arms. He can’t focus on how embarrassing this is though. All he can register is the pure fear that’s filling his body.

“In first place, the winner is straight outta the sewers, Pennywise the Dancing Clown!”

Pennywise jumps off the DJ booth as the crowd cheers. Whoever’s in that costume must be one of those freaky method actors, because he twitches his head, makes his eyes wide, and does the iconic Pennywise dance as everyone chants over and over. Malik places a crown on the oversized head, and Pennywise makes a show of pretending to eat his arm, which amuses mostly everyone. Malik laughs at the charade. “Now that that’s out of the way, how about we get back to the party?”

Everyone cheers as if they weren’t just given a heart attack by a demon clown. The lights dim as “DJ Turn it Up” blasts from the speakers, and everyone starts dancing along to the beat of the music as if nothing happened.

And yet Ethan is still trembling.

“E,” Benny grunts, “I know you’re scared, but you’re kinda heavy, and I’m not very strong...” Ethan’s face flushes and he scrambles out of Benny’s arms, muttering an apology. “Wooh. That almost threw out my back.”

Ethan doesn’t have time to glare at Benny before Pennywise walks over to them, the smile on his face almost the same as the one that’s haunted his dreams. He’s extremely realistic. From the balding orange hair to the pouty bottom lip to the Victorian costume to the white face paint to the shoes. The person looks exactly like Bill Skarsgård did, only shorter. Ethan hides behind Benny as the too realistic clown approaches them. “Hello Benny, Ethan.” Dear lord even the voice sounds the same. “Would you boys like a balloon?”

“Benny…” Ethan whines, his body still shaking. He’s very close to tears as embarrassing as it sounds.

Benny sighs. “Listen buddy, my friend is really afraid of clowns, especially Pennywise. So, if you could just not do this whole creepy thing around us, that would be great.” Ethan nods from his spot behind Benny, grateful for the taller boy.

Pennywise suddenly removes the buck-teeth from his mouth and gives them a slightly less creepy smile. “Guys relax. It’s me!”

Ethan and Benny take a moment before the facial structure, height, and familiar voice finally dawns on them. “Rory?!”

Pennywise, or Rory apparently, nods excitedly. “Pretty neat huh? I got Malik and the DJ to set that whole thing up for my grand entrance. Can’t believe it worked so well! You should have seen the look on your faces when I popped out!” Rory mimics the fear on their faces as he has a good laugh with himself. Both Benny and Ethan, who still hides behind Benny, glare. “By the way, your costumes came out great! Ten out of ten rating in my book.”

“Yours looks great too.” Benny replies, still glaring. “And super realistic. How did you do all of this?”

“I had one of my mom’s friends help me. She works in special effects and prosthetics. We paid her a lot of money to get it done. But I’d say it’s pretty worth it, don’t you?” Rory looks expectantly between Benny and Ethan. Ethan refuses to meet Rory’s eyes as he shrinks further behind Benny. “Come on Ethan. It’s just me, Rory. Your friend.”

“You may sound like Rory, but you still look like that evil clown.” Ethan grumbles. Rory’s face falls, which makes Ethan feel bad, but not enough to come out from his hiding spot. Rory opens his mouth to speak.

“Guys!” Sarah jumps onto the stage before he can say anything. She gives Rory a glance. “Hey Rory. Cool costume.” He beams at this, feeling proud of himself. “But anyways, I found Erica, and she’s not looking too good right now. Benny whatever you put in that elixir must’ve really worked, because I haven’t seen her this drunk since freshman year. But I need your help getting her back to the car before she hurts someone.” She doesn’t need to explain any more for them to get the idea. A drunk vampire is probably not the best combination at a Halloween party where there’s a plethora of humans and human blood. They all hop off the stage and follow Sarah in the direction of the backyard and—

“Oh god! Please don’t tell me she’s in the pool!”

* * *

The rest of the party is spent wrestling a dripping wet Erica into the backseat of Sarah’s car. By the time they manage to get her situated in the car it’s past midnight. Sarah, Rory, Ethan, and Benny are all collectively exhausted from everything and ready to go home. They pile into the car and Sarah drives them back to their respective homes, except for Benny who’s sleeping over at Ethan’s tonight.

Rory unceremoniously rips his wig and head piece off, mutters, “Thank god,” and shakes his hair out. Everyone agrees that that is a big mood for the night. All any of them really want to do is rip their costumes off and take the longest showers of their lives.

They thank the stars that school’s been cancelled the next day, because there’s no way any of them would be able to get up and make it in time. Not after the night they’ve had.

Sarah promises to keep Benny updated on Erica and how she sobers up. Benny’s pretty sure she should sober up much like how humans do except for the hangover part. But it doesn’t hurt to double check just in case.

Ethan and Benny stand next to each other as they silently take off the makeup and prosthetics. It’s funny how taking the paint off is much faster than putting it on. Ethan helps Benny pry off the horn stumps while Benny peels off the fake teeth. They both struggle to take the contact lens out but they eventually get it. They shed the body suits which have definitely collected a decent amount of sweat. Ethan has the urge to burn the thing, but Benny demands they keep it as a memory of the time they completely lost their minds.

They each take a nice long shower, washing off the rest of the paint and debris and sweat before they can get comfortable in their pajamas and lay down in Ethan’s bed. Ethan curls up on Benny’s chest as they lay there. Benny rubs slow circles into Ethan’s arm and the smaller boy sighs.

“Pretty fun night huh?” Benny says Ethan’s hair. “You enjoyed yourself baby?”

Ethan nods sleepily. “Mmhmm.”

“Did you enjoy all the dancing you did?”

Ethan groans as he facepalms. “Ugh. Don’t remind me. How am I gonna go to school after embarrassing myself like that?”

“You didn’t embarrass yourself.” Benny kisses the top his head. “Didn’t you hear how everyone reacted to you? They loved you. I wouldn’t be surprised if you make at least five new friends by Monday.”

Ethan shakes his head. “You know I’m not good at making friends.”

Benny shrugs. “Well you’re not a bad dancer either. Twitter might nominate you as white boy of the month after you milly rocked like that.”

Ethan chuckles. “Don’t get used to it. I don’t think anyone will see me dance like that for a while.” Benny smiles into Ethan’s hair before pulling him closer. He wraps his arms around his boyfriend securely. Ethan snuggles in closer. “Are you upset that you won third place?”

“Nah,” Benny shakes his head, “not really. Are you upset you won second?”

“Honestly no.” Ethan says, moving his head so he can look at Benny. “I thought I really wanted to win first place, especially after that argument. And I wanted to prove you wrong and prove that I can do a convincing cosplay. But I guess after I accomplished that and got dressed up, I didn’t care about winning anything, or some stupid contest. I just cared about showing you what I was able to do and having a good time with you. Which I did.” Ethan smiles. “And proving you wrong felt pretty good too.”

Benny laughs. “I’m glad you provided me wrong tonight E. You looked incredible. You’ve got talent up your sleeve that nobody knows about. And I’m glad you said that because I feel the same way. I had fun tonight, and it was all because you were there with me.” Benny leans forward to tenderly connect his lips with Ethan’s. The smaller boy returns the kiss, smiling into it. They pull apart as Ethan yawns. “Get some sleep baby. We both had long days.”

Ethan nods as he situates himself into Benny’s side. “Goodnight my Hellboy.”

Benny smiles into the darkness of the room. “Goodnight my precious Venom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: last year I was Venom for Halloween. This year I was Pennywise. We've come full circle.
> 
> This was a lot longer than I expected, and did not at all go in the direction i anticipated. But, I'm happy with it. Also I've never played beer pong so I have no idea if that part was accurate. 
> 
> Hopefully the next chapter is significantly shorter and fluffier. Thanks for reading!
> 
> -THEBLACKAGENDA


	6. Dog Days Are Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a TikTok I saw

The day has been relatively normal.

And that should have been the first red flag.

Living in Whitechapel, Benny’s learned that it is extremely rare for a full 24 hours to pass without some type of mishap, mayhem, goof, or gander occurring. Whether it be school related, stupidity related, or supernaturally related, something is always bound to happen to make the day the complete opposite of normal.

And if nothing happens at all and the day comes and goes as normal, well that’s enough cause for a celebration. But as we’ve mentioned, such days are very rare.

Nevertheless, Benny has spent his entire Saturday lounging on his couch eating Takis and watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns. Some might say this is a form of celebration. Or maybe it’s just sad.

It’s not like he wanted to do absolutely nothing but eat junk food and watch old 90s sitcoms. Unlike most people his age, Benny actually wanted to go outside. And have some form of human contact. But all of his friends and his boyfriend are busy doing something or the other with their lives (because unlike Benny they have lives). Which is completely fine in all honesty. They have more important things to do with their time than entertain or hang out with him. They’re out there in the world, having the time of their lives while Benny sits on his couch filling his veins with spicy chips and slowly withering away. But it’s fine. Not a problem at all.

And yes, he knows that he can very well go out and do something by himself. He doesn’t necessarily need his friends to have fun, nor do they need to entertain him every second of the day. But anything else that might be fun to do requires him to spend money that he doesn’t have. The only source of free fun he has (besides the stuff in his house) is his friends. And if they’re not around then, well, there’s not much he can do.

He should really look into getting a job. It’d be nice to have some pocket change around besides the small allowance grandma gives him every other week.

He should also really make that eye appointment because there’s no good reason for the characters on the television screen to be that blurry.

Benny sighs as he pops a Taki in his mouth. Carlton Banks says something funny as the spice from the corn chip bursts with flavor within his mouth. It’s probably better he’s at home bored out of his mind than outside trying to entertain himself. If he was there’s no doubt he’d be caught in some mess like accidently riding a lion out of the zoo.

It can happen.

And maybe he’ll call Ethan again later on and see if he’s still busy. He’s managed to get a little side job doing some freelance tutoring. But he can’t be doing that all day, right? Tutors have to go home at some point. They have lives too.

His front door suddenly opens and closes quickly. Huh, that’s odd. Grandma said she’d be out all day, and his dad is still out of town indefinitely. Benny doesn’t move, but mentally goes through every last spell he knows in case he needs to defend himself (which isn’t many). “Whoever you are, I don’t have any money so you’d really be wasting your time here.

The sound of footsteps hurrying into the living room only alarms him for a second before Ethan runs inside the room looking rather frazzled. “E, hey. I thought you were still tutoring.” Ethan doesn’t answer, but instead frantically closes the blinds to each window in the room. “Uhh, E?” Benny’s eyebrow twitches up. “Some people actually like it when they get sunlight in their houses y’know. And you still haven’t answered me. How come you’re done tutoring so soon?”

“Um, I—” Ethan stutters. He finally turns away from one of the windows, his face flushed. His eyes are wide, like he’s equally scared shitless and adrenaline pumped. He opens his mouth a few times with no noise coming out of it.

Benny finally gets off the couch, walking over to his anxiety stricken boyfriend. “Babe, what’s going on—” it’s only when Benny gets close enough that he sees the lump under Ethan’s Vans sweater that the boy is carefully cradling. The lump moves just a little bit, but enough for Benny to see. “Ethan, whatcha got under your sweater?” He almost doesn’t want to know what he’s hiding under there, but if it’s making Ethan this worked up then it’s probably in both their best interests if he finds out.

Ethan swallows, cautiously looking at the now locked door (he even bolted it!) and the closed windows. “I, um…” he starts as he reaches under his hoodie and pulls out the lump. “I stole a puppy.”

* * *

“Out of all the reckless, irresponsible, absolutely ridiculous things you could have done today, why on Earth did you decide to steal a dog? And why did you come here, out of all places, to seek refuge?” Ethan, who’s sat on the floor lap full of puppy, follows Benny with his eyes as the taller teen paces the length of his kitchen. “You do realize that you being here makes me an accomplice right? I am now an accessory to a crime and am hiding a fugitive, so thanks a lot babe. Really feeling the love here.”

Ethan rolls his eyes as he fondles the small brown dog. “You’re being dramatic. I’m not a fugitive, nor are you an accomplice to any crime. Besides, if anything, I didn’t necessarily steal him. I… saved him from a life of terror.”

Benny gives Ethan an unimpressed look. “Saved him? Really? And how exactly is it that you ‘saved’ him?” Benny makes air quotes around the word “saved”.

Ethan sighs. “Well, the kid I was tutoring got sick, so I left early. On my way home I passed by these shady looking guys that were dealing some things. Drugs, weapons maybe. That kind of stuff. I tried to just mind my business and move past them quickly, but then I caught sight of this little guy.” Ethan picks up the puppy who was curled up in his lap playing with the drawstring of his hoodie. “They were talking about selling him, putting him in dog fighting rings, doing experiments on him, and all types of other awful stuff. And I just couldn’t let him be sold into potential dog slavery.” Ethan shrugs. “So, when they weren’t looking, I grabbed him and ran.”

“Grabbed him and ran.” Benny repeats because the next option would be to scream. “And you came here with the puppy. That you stole.”

“Saved. Not stole.” Ethan corrects. “And, well, yeah. Your house was the first available house I saw, and you can do some of that spell stuff if anyone tries to attack...”

It’s as if Ethan decided today was the perfect day for him to not think clearly. That’s usually Benny’s job! “So, you came here under the idea that if something were to happen, I can protect you using magic. Magic that I’m not at all good at yet, and that I can’t fully control.” He’d never admit that out load on a normal day, but if he’s going to be the logical one in this situation he might as well tell all the truth.

“Alright so maybe I didn’t think any of this through completely…”

Benny scoffs, throwing his arms up and continuing his pacing. “Great. Not only am I an under trained spell master and an accomplice to dog-napping, now I’m on the run from possible gang members. Which need I remind you is much worse than the police.”

“We are not on the run from anyone. By the time they noticed I took the dog, I was already far enough away that they couldn’t follow.” Ethan says exasperatedly. The puppy in his lap let’s out a small whimper and he responds automatically. “And could you please stop pacing like that? It’s making me dizzy, and little Remus doesn’t like it either.” He scratches behind the puppy’s ear. The dog licks his hand, and Ethan visibly melts. Benny tries his best to stay focused on the topic at hand, which is hard due to the cuteness bundle that is Ethan and an adorable puppy. Ethan should not be allowed to cuddle baby animals like that. How is anyone supposed to hold a worthwhile conversation with him when he’s so wrapped up in adorableness?

Benny hits Ethan with an incredulous look, hoping that it doesn’t look forced. “Remus? You named the dog? That you stole?”

“Saved.” Ethan corrects again. “And, well, yeah. I mean, he kinda looks like a little Remus y’know. If Remus were a golden retriever boxer mix instead of a werewolf…”

Remember when Benny said his Saturday was boring? Yeah, just scratch that whole thing.

Benny pinches the bridge of his nose. Whatever deity is out there, please give me the patience. This entire thing sounds like such a Benny Weir thing to do. Which is weird. The more Ethan speaks, the more he sounds like Benny. In fact, this entire ‘dog rescue’ scheme sounds like something Benny would come up with and execute. He’s usually the irresponsible-deed-doer, and Ethan is usually the scolder. He’s used to doing outlandish and ridiculous things while Ethan lectures him on why he can’t do the outlandish and ridiculous thing. It’s weird for the roles to be reversed like this.

Wonder how Ethan feels about it.

“Alright.” He sits on the floor next to Ethan, who subconsciously leans closer to the taller boy. They both watch as the brown puppy scampers around in the space between the cabinets and Ethan’s legs, and Benny has to use ever last ounce of willpower to stop himself from melting completely. “I’ll admit, even though it was reckless, you did a good and brave thing. Probably saved him from a long life of abuse. And, he is pretty cute.”

Ethan smiles as the puppy scampers over to him, putting his little paws on Ethan’s chest. “He is, isn’t he?” He scratches behind the puppy’s head and ‘Remus’ brushes his head against Ethan’s hand. If this gets any cuter Benny might explode.

“Yeah.” Benny chuckles at the sight before him. He didn’t think anything could make his feelings for Ethan stronger than they already are. But something about seeing Ethan on his kitchen floor cooing at a puppy in such a domestic way fills Benny’s heart up like it hasn’t before. He’s tempted to curl himself around Ethan while he cuddles the puppy and just stay here, on the floor safe right where they are. He has a very short fantasy of this being a future for them, but he saves that for later because they have more important things to worry about.

Like what they’re going to do with puppy who looks too small to even be away from it’s mother.

“So,” Benny starts, and Ethan’s not really paying him any mind but oh well, “what’s your plan now?”

“Huh?” Ethan mutters between laughs as the puppy licks his face.

Benny gently takes the puppy out of Ethan’s hands, ignoring his protests, and places little ‘Remus’ on the floor. “I said, what’s your plan?”

Ethan blinks. “What do you mean?”

“What do you mean ‘what do I mean’? What do you plan on doing with ‘Remus’?”

“Oh.” Ethan’s mouth makes an ‘oh’ shape as he gives Benny a blank look. “Uhh…”

Benny groans. Of course Ethan would impulsively steal (sorry, save *insert eyeroll*) a live animal— a baby live animal at that— from possible gang members and not have a plan for afterwards. Which, again, is a Benny Weir move! “Oh, for Christ sakes Ethan you cannot keep him!”

“I know, I know.” Ethan says quickly. “I know I can’t keep him. I wasn’t planning on keeping him anyway. That sounds way worse saying it out loud.” Ethan sighs. The past hour has been incredibly draining on him, from seeing little Remus in the black SUV, to grabbing him while the guys were distracted, to running like hell afterwards. He’s exhausted. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. He needs a nap. But he highly doubts Benny’s up for some cuddle time while they have a puppy to worry about.

“Look,” Ethan turns his body to face Benny, “I’m not going to keep him because that’s absurd. But what I am gonna do is look for a permanent and trustworthy home for him that will provide the proper love and care he needs. I just need some time to do the research and possible background check. That’s all.”

Benny thinks about this. “Okay, that doesn’t sound bad. But why don’t you just call an animal shelter or something? Isn’t their whole purpose finding homes for abused and neglected animals?”

Ethan shakes his head. “I already tried that. I called every possible animal shelter in Whitechapel on the way here. They’re all full to capacity— yeah, I know. I couldn’t believe it either— and the next available one is about an hour away from here by car. And since neither one of us have a car or can drive....”

“Right, right.” He didn’t need that reminder to hurt his ego. “So if you can’t put him in a shelter, what are you going to do in the meantime? Where is ‘Remus’ going to stay?”

“Well...” Ethan draws out the word. He looks up at Benny from under his lashes (a trick he just learned works wonders) and smiles as sweetly and innocently as possible. He watches as Benny’s expression morphs from anticipation, to confusion, to realization, and then to—

“No Ethan. No. No way. Absolutely not.”

Ethan deflates. “I knew you’d say that.” He mumbles. So much for his little eyelash trick.

Benny scoffs. “Yeah, because you and I both know that’s a crazy idea.”

“Crazy enough that you just might consider?”

“No!”

“Ah, c’mon Benny.”

“I’m not keeping a dog in my house Ethan!”

“But it’ll just be for like a week.”

“Ethan no! He can’t stay here.” Benny ignores the little pout Ethan gives him because no amount of cuteness is going to work this time. “Grandma doesn’t even let me take care of her plants. Why do you think she’d let me have a dog in the house, even if it is for a week? She’d never agree to that. And what’s gonna happen when that gang decides to track him down and they come banging on my door? Do you want me to be a murder statistic?” Is he exaggerating? No. Not at all. He watches the news. He knows all about the murder rate of 16 year old boys.

“Okay, first of all, I don’t even know if those guys were in a gang.” Benny scoffs at that because that’s kind of not the point. “And second of all, I’m sure Grandma Weir will agree so long as I tell her the plan and the circumstances behind it.” Benny just purses his lips at Ethan because they both know that’s highly unlikely. Ethan whines. “Come on Benny! It won’t even be for that long. And you know I can’t keep him at my place because my mom hates dogs. She’d probably have a heart attack if she knew I smuggled one all over town today.”

“Yeah well maybe you should have thought of that before you stole—“

“Saved!”

“—a dog that you can’t keep. And obviously neither one of us are capable dog parents.” Benny gestures to ‘Remus’ who’s about to topple the garbage bin on himself. Ethan yelps and grabs the puppy before he can hurt himself. “I’m sorry E, but you’ll just have to find another temporary home for him. Because this home ain’t it.”

Ethan’s pout grows. “But there’s nowhere else…” He uses that soft, pleading voice that usually makes Benny fold.

And, it’s kind of working. But Benny tries to stand his ground. “Ethan I can’t…” He says that with much less confidence.

“Please Benny?” Ethan puts the cherry on top as he leans his cheek on Benny’s shoulder and makes his brown eyes big and sad. It feels like they’re boring into Benny’s soul, tearing apart at his toughened stance. He tries his best not to cave in but the quivering lip and the puppy-dog-eyes and aw fucking hell!

“Fine.” Benny rolls his eyes, cursing himself for giving in so quickly. “I’ll take care of the dog for a few days.”

Ethan throws his arms around Benny and proceeds to repeatedly kiss his cheek. “Yes! Thanks baby. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.” Ethan plants his lips on Benny’s who responds quickly to the overly excited kiss. “You are the best. And I promise you won’t regret it. And I’ll find a new home for Remus as soon as possible.”

Benny smirks, draping an arm around his now happy boyfriend. “Yeah, I know I’m the best.” Ethan lightly slaps his chest and Benny chuckles. “But this can only happen if grandma agrees. If she says no, then there’s nothing I can do about it.” Which Benny is counting on. There’s no way he’s going to take care of a puppy for a week, even if Ethan begs, pleads, and cries. But, if grandma says no, it’ll make him look much less like an asshole, and Ethan will have to find another option. So, Benny wins in the end. “I should warn you though. She’s not much of a dog person, and she’ll most likely say no.”

* * *

“Why of course Ethan!” Grandma Weir beams as Remus yaps excitedly in her arms, licking at her face. “Your little puppy can stay here as long as you need.” Benny watches in complete astonishment as his grandmother easily gives in to the idea of being a temporary doggy hotel. She barely bated an eye when she saw Benny and Ethan completely surrounded by the puppy on the kitchen floor. And she’s far too happy to let the dog live with them. Benny was sure she wouldn’t be okay with this at all. Is this the twilight zone or something? Is he dreaming?

“Thanks grandma Weir.” Ethan smiles, giving Benny a ‘told you so’ look when she’s not looking. “I really appreciate the help. Benny thought you weren’t going to say yes, but I of course had more faith in you.”

Oh you little shit. How dare he play the innocent ‘kiss up to grandma’ card? That’s Benny’s card! “B-b-b-but,” Benny splutters, “Grandma! Can you be more reasonable about this? We can’t take care of a puppy.”

“And why is that?” Grandma Weir challenges, equipped with a raised eyebrow and hand on her hip.

Benny gulps, choosing his next words wisely. “Uhh, b-because who’s going to take care of him? He’s still a baby and needs lots of attention and care.”

“Well that’s easy.” She walks around the kitchen island and swiftly hands the puppy over to Benny who takes him without thinking. “You will.”

Benny gapes. “Me?”

“But of course.”

“B-b-b-but.” Benny stutters for the second time. Why does it feel like both his grandmother and his boyfriend are ganging up against him? “Grandma I don’t have time to take care of a puppy. I’m taking five AP’s this year! Five! Not to mention all the work I have to do for STEM club, robotics, and the academic decathlon. Plus, the art teacher wants to entire me into the annual Art and Animation competition. Not to mention the amount of work and practice I have to do if I want to become a full spell master.” He follows Grandma into the living room as he rants.

“Welcome to the real world Benjamin, we’re everyone is busy but still makes time for things like pets.” She deadpans as she proceeds to water her plants. He can hear Ethan chuckling behind him.

“Grandma!” He whines. “I have way too much to do, and I don’t have time for a pet. It’s not gonna work out!”

Grandma sighs and turns to face her grandson. He’s looking at her with wide eyes, his jaw slack from trying to get his point across. “Benny, sweetheart, this isn’t just about taking care of a dog for a week. This is about you learning to be responsible for something other than yourself. And frankly, responsibility is a lesson you need to learn sooner rather than later. If you can’t take care of a small puppy for just a week, how are you going to take care of a car if you ever get one?” He flinches at the second remind that he has yet to learn to drive. “Or a house when you decide to move out? Or your own children in the future?

“Benny, dear, I love you. And you know I only do what I think is best for you.” She pats his cheek and he closes his jaw instantly. “And having this puppy be our guest is what’s best for you. Oh, stop it! None of that.” Her tone changes slightly when Benny begins to whine like he used to when he was a kid. “This will be good for you. And just think,” she walks over to the stairs, “having a dog might help you bring home a nice girlfriend one day.”

Ethan trips. And Benny nearly drops the puppy.

* * *

The three of them took a much needed trip to the vet the next day to check up on the puppy. They find out that the puppy is indeed far too young to be away from his mother and up for adoption. “He’s maybe a little over a month old.” The vet had said. “Still too young to be outside for long periods of time, and too young for vaccinations. No chip on him either, but overall healthy. Does he have a name?”

Ethan perked up at the mention of a name. “Yeah Rem—”

“We’re still deciding.” Benny covered Ethan’s mouth, ignoring how he protests against it. If Benny’s going to be taking care of this dog, he’s going to give it a better name than Remus.

The dog doesn’t even look like a Remus! What was Ethan thinking?

The vet gave them a list of what they need in order to properly take care of Re— dog-who’s-name-is-not-yet-decided. Everything from special formula, to canned food, to a small pet play pen and blankets and toys. They spent two hours in Petco and Target finding all the required materials Benny will need. And it’s a lot of stuff. Why does one small puppy need so many supplies anyway?

“This is an awful lot of stuff for a puppy we’re only taking care of for a little while.” Benny had said once they were piling everything into Grandma’s car.

“Just like a human baby, puppies need extra care in order to grow and survive.” Grandma replied. “Even if we’ll only need it for a little while, this is all very necessary. You’ll see.”

Benny groaned at that. This is gonna be a long week.

* * *

Monday comes around a Benny’s already over it.

He can’t see why some people put up with dogs when all they do is whine and poop. And eat. And make a mess.

The dog watches him innocently as Benny franticly sprays and scrubs the pee stain off his carpet, muttering a plethora of curses that Grandma would have a stroke if she heard. Benny glares at the little brown fur-ball behind him, who’s tail wags when he sees he has Benny’s attention. As if he’s such a good boy. As if he did something so wonderful by soiling Benny’s carpet.

“What are you looking at?” Benny grumbles. He rips off the cleaning gloves he was wearing. “You find this amusing don’t you? You making a mess and me having to clean it up like some servant. This is all fun and games to you, isn’t it?”

The puppy barks in response, tail wagging vigorously. “And now you’re laughing at me aren’t you?” Benny gets closer to the puppy’s face, close enough that the dog can see the annoyance written on his face. “We do not use the bathroom on my carpet. Do you understand? Bathroom on wee-wee pad,” he points to the wee-wee pad near the crate in his room, “not the carpet. That is a no-no. You got it?” Some might say he’s ridiculous for talking to a puppy like this. It’s not like he understands what Benny’s saying anyway. He’s too young for potty training, or any type of training.

Yet, for some reason it satisfies him just a little bit to feel like his scolding is coming across.

To his surprise, the puppy whimpers and dips his little head. Benny’s suddenly at a loss for words. “I-I yeah. You should feel bad.” He tries to sound stern but sounds more unsure of his words. “This carpet cost a lot of money to install you know. If you’re going to stay here, you have to learn to respect the room as you see it.” Is he really lecturing a dog on respect? Really?

The puppy whimpers as he stands up. He walks over to Benny, tail between his legs, and curls up into Benny’s lap. “H-Hey. Stop that.” He rubs his head against Benny’s arm. “Don’t go acting cute. I’m still very upset with you for messing up my carpet.” The puppy just looks up at him, giving him the saddest eyes he’s ever seen, as if to say ‘I’m sorry for making you upset’. It takes all of Benny’s willpower to not say “aww”. “Alright. I guess you’re forgiven this time. But only because you don’t know any better.”

Benny scratches at the puppy’s brown coat, and he visibly cheers up at the contact. They stay like that one the floor longer than Benny would have liked too, but he eventually remembers he has homework to get too, and he’s not supposed to be falling under the cute spell the dog is obviously casting on everyone else.

He wonders if it’s normal for puppies to watch you sit and do homework for a whole hour straight.

* * *

Day two of puppy-sitting. They haven’t run out of food or water supply.

But Benny has run out of fucks to give.

He covers his ears with his pillow, but no matter what he does, it doesn’t drown out the sound of the puppy whimpering from its bed in the corner. And he’s been at it for two hours! Two hours of whimpering and barking and little howls! How is Benny supposed to get a good night’s rest if he has to listen to Ode to Canine all night long? He has a Pre-Calc test in the morning! And the dog just won’t shut up!

After another few minutes of it, he groans loudly. “That’s it! I’ve had enough of this!” He throws the blankets off and stumbles out of the bed, storming over to the puppy’s side of the room. The whimpers die down as Benny approaches, and the puppy sits up and his tail starts wagging as if it’s suddenly play time.

It is definitely not play time.

“What do you possibly want?” Benny moans, falling onto his knees in front of the puppy pen. “Why can’t you just let me sleep peacefully? Huh? I feed you and gave you the formula. You played with your stupid toys and used the bathroom before bedtime. What else do you need?” All he got in response was brown, blinking eyes, and a thumping tail. “Can you please stop making noise so I can get some sleep? I’m literally begging you now.”

The puppy lies down on his bed, placing his head between his paws. Benny sighs, taking that as some sort of agreement. He gets up from the floor and makes his way back to his bed. Finally, he thinks as he snuggles into his warm blankets. Peace and quiet finally fill up the room.

And then the dog starts whining again.

“Oh, for the love of—” Benny throws his blankets of again and trudges to the puppy pen. “I thought we had a deal. You stop making noise and I get some sleep. What happened to that?” He stops when he takes a closer look at the puppy who’s huddled in the bed shaking and giving Benny sad eyes. The dog suddenly looks very tiny in the bed that’s supposed to be specially made for small dogs. All the annoyance drains from Benny instantly. “You’re scared, aren’t you.” The puppy blinks, trembles wrecking his little body. Benny sighs and scoops him up. “Alright, you win this time. But only this time. Tomorrow you have to sleep in your own bed. Got it?”

The puppy licks his face in response. Or maybe in thanks.

Benny’s starting to wonder whether the dog is understanding him. But that’s ludicrous.

He gets back into bed and places the puppy on one of his pillows. The puppy wastes no time getting into a comfortable little ball on the pillow, yawning as he snuggles in closer. Benny let’s a chuckle pass his lips as he brings his blankets over his shoulders. “Goodnight little guy. If you howl in my ear I’m putting you in the hallway.”

They both sleep peacefully straight through the night.

And as you might expect, the puppy did not sleep in his own bed the next night.

* * *

So, this dog might be a little bit of a genius.

The puppy is currently sitting next to the wee-wee pad, the proudest look on his face (as far as proud looks on dogs go). Benny’s jaw is slack as he looks between the dog and the pad in disbelief. And it’s not only because the puppy used the wee-wee pad properly this time.

It’s because he hasn’t used the bathroom anywhere else but the wee-wee pad since Benny scolded him about it the first time.

“Good job.” Benny says as he replaces the pad. “You’re already learning. You’re not some type of doggy prodigy, are you?”

The dog yips happily, causing Benny to laugh.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

* * *

It’s suddenly Thursday night. Benny feels like the week flew by, which is saying a lot because his plate has been full between school and puppy-sitting. He thought the week would be long and excruciating, but it actually went by fast.

A little too fast actually.

He looks down at the puppy currently laying in his lap, the pair of them watching ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. He scratches behind its ear and the puppy stretches. He’s not sure how or why, but the dog has grown on him over the past few days. Sure, he was an annoying hassle at first (and he kind of still is), but something about the way the dog responds to what Benny says like he understand every word, and how excited he gets when Benny comes home, and how he’s afraid to sleep by himself, and is proud when he uses the wee-wee pad, and how he like’s the turkey canned food but not the chicken and—

Holy hell, Benny’s becoming attached to the dog.

He can’t believe how much he’s started to like the dog in such a short amount of time. It was barely a week ago when he couldn’t bare the idea of having to take care of a pet when he could barely take care of himself. He was really hoping that Grandma wouldn’t allow the dog to stay here so he’d have one less responsibility on his plate.

Now, he kinda doesn’t want the puppy to leave.

Which isn’t a good thing at all. Soon, Ethan’s going to find a family for the puppy to go to. A safe, responsible, loving family. A family that doesn’t have school work or other responsibilities, and can give this puppy 100% of their attention. And the puppy will have to leave Benny.

And that saddens him.

He sighs. He knew that day would come eventually. It’s what was initially agreed on anyway. Benny would temporarily foster the puppy while Ethan looked for a home for him. That’s just the way things will have to be.

The puppy’s head suddenly perks up when the character ‘Drax’ comes on the screen. Benny watches curiously as the puppy’s tail starts wagging as the character threatens Gamora. Huh, Benny wonders, can dogs be fans of movie characters? It’s not like this is the first weird thing the puppy has done. All week he’s acted like he understands the things Benny said. And as far as he knows, most puppies don’t understand anything yet.

And yet, every time Drax appears on screen, the dog becomes visibly existed. And I mean jumping around the couch like a kangaroo excited. Benny watches in amusement, being sure the dog doesn’t accidently fall off the couch. The puppy even gives little howls whenever Drax laughs that exaggerated laugh he has.

This new installment gives Benny an idea.

* * *

“You’re probably going to say no,” Ethan starts as he enters the Weir household after school that Friday, “but do you mind watching the puppy for a few more days? I didn’t think it’d be this hard to find a home for him, but for some reason nobodies interested. And who wouldn’t want an adorable puppy like Rem— I mean like the one we have.”

“Uhh, actually,” Benny starts. He bends down to pick up the dog that’s excitedly run over to greet him at the door (he does this every day without fail.). “I don’t think that’s necessary anymore.”

Ethan narrows his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”

Benny went over how this conversation could possibly go in his head, but each time it ended with a rather smug Ethan saying something along the lines of “I told you so”. He decides to stall by walking into the living room and plopping on the couch. Which does not work at all because Ethan follows him in there (he’s never been able to come up with good ideas as we should all know by now, exhibit A being the truth serum). “Well,” he starts, clutching the puppy in his hands, “this week hasn’t been… that bad, y’know. And, although it was a rocky start, and he ruined my carpet,” Benny shrugs, “I dunno. I guess… little Drax here has grown on me.”

“Drax?” Ethan questions, looking from Benny to the puppy. “You named the puppy ‘Drax’, after a Marvel character. But Remus wasn’t good enough?” Benny smiles sheepishly because yes maybe ‘Drax’ isn’t the best name, but the puppy seemed to really respond to the character so hey, why not?

And ‘Remus’ should be reserved for husky’s and husky’s only, thank you very much.

Ethan shakes his head as what Benny says finally registers. “Wait, you named the puppy?” A smile slowly creeps on Ethan’s face as Benny blushes. “Like, you put thought into giving the dog a name? Are you being serious right now?”

“Like I said, he’s grown on me.” Benny mumbles. He can’t meet Ethan’s eyes without his blush deepening, so he gazes at his lap and hopes Ethan keeps the gloating to a minimum.

Instead of gloating though, he can hear Ethan chuckle (that’s such a pretty sound) as an arm snakes around his shoulders. “Baby, look at me please.” Benny’s eyes slowly meet Ethan’s, who’s giving Benny the sweetest smile he’s ever seen before. That smile mixed with the bundle of dog in his arms cause Benny’s heart to soar. “Do you want to keep him?”

Benny looks down at the puppy who’s content in his arms. Yeah, I really do want to keep him. “Is it bad if I do?”

“No, it’s not bad at all. Why would it be a bad thing?”

Benny shrugs again. “Because, I dunno. I made such a big deal about not wanting a dog, or any pet in the first place, and not wanting to take care of him. But now here I am, completely attached to this little guy, and actually liking having a dog, and feeling like a fool for it.”

“Benny.” Ethan breathes, leaning forward to briefly press his lips against Benny’s. “You’re not a fool for wanting to keep the puppy. And it doesn’t matter if you didn’t want him at first. Sometimes, you have to really experience something before realizing you like it or enjoy it. And you’ve never had a dog before, so you wouldn’t know whether you like them or not until you actually had one around you. And it looks like Drax,” Ethan scratches the puppy’s ear, “has shown you the light. Which is a relief because it’s exhausting trying to give a puppy away.”

Benny laughs. “Not as exhausting as caring for said puppy, I can tell you that.” The both laugh, and the puppy— Drax— barks with them, as if he too wants to laugh. Benny decides to worry about that later. “So, do you really think I should keep him? You think I’d be a good dog daddy?”

Ethan nods. “Of course. You’re already doing a good job of it anyways since Drax seems to really like you.” He points to the way Drax is licking at Benny’s neck and chin, causing Benny to giggle.

“Yeah, he does doesn’t he?” He picks up the dog so he’s eye level, allowing the dog to get a few good licks in on his nose. “But not as much as I like you!”

Benny proceeds to attack Ethan in kisses all over his face and neck until Ethan is a laughing mess all over the couch. Drax also joins in and starts to leave kisses on every inch of skin he can find. And it feels a bit like the domestic future Benny fantasied about just a week ago when he watched Ethan cuddle the puppy on his kitchen floor.

Benny smiles to himself, because he can definitely get used to this new normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -THEBLACKAGENDA


	7. Ho Ho Ho My God part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Christmas is already over, but I worked really hard on this so I'm uploading it anyway. Part of the reason why I haven't uploaded in a while is because I got a puppy (which is ironic because of the last chapter I posted), and it's been a huge adjustment. But I really wanted to get this Christmas fic out there even if it's a whole week late. We'll just pretend it's not though.
> 
> The beginning part is kind of written as a montage to coincide with the music in it. Hopefully it makes some type of sense.

The opening notes to Mariah Carey’s _All I Want for Christmas is You_ plays from the sound system as Ethan lights up a sugar cookie scented Yankee Candle. The flame melts the wax, the scent wafting from it and filling the room with sugary deliciousness. A smile forms on Ethan’s face. This is the moment he’s been waiting for. This is his favorite time of the year. _This_ is the season he lives and breathes for. This is what dreams are made of.

_I, don’t want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need_.

Ethan drags the fake tree from the attic (he’s allergic to real Christmas trees. Don’t judge him!) and proceeds to setting it up in the living room, right between the grand piano and fireplace like every year. He cleared the spot of all décor and other junk weeks ago and barricaded the area right after Halloween. He’s made it a point to remind his family every year that _this_ is the designated Christmas tree area. The last time he didn’t he had to put the tree in the basement. Like a _heathen_.

The tree opens up and fluffs out, standing at a mighty seven feet tall. Okay well that’s average height for a Christmas tree but Ethan is barely 5’10 so it’s mighty for him. Nonetheless, seven feet is a lot of tree to cover and Ethan is just one person, so he immediately gets to work decorating it with the new white, blue, and silver ornaments he ordered for this year. Sure, his family has a plethora of ornaments that they’ve saved throughout the years, and many from Ethan’s childhood. And sure, the ornament collection is slowly building in the garage, attic, and parts of Ethan’s room. But Ethan refuses to use the same set of ornaments and decorations more than once, no matter how much money he wastes on decorations per year. Each year deserves its own Christmas aesthetic, its own flavor and memories to go with it. And this year is no different.

_I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree._

He artistically hangs fake snow dusted garland on and around the fireplace, strategically wrapping lights and fake cherries throughout. He places a display of the Advent candles (as per his grandma’s request) inside a holly, lighting the first purple candle. The mantle also contains other holiday scented candles, which Ethan lights up promptly. The various smells makes the living room smell somewhere between a gingerbread house and peppermint chocolate. And somehow, the various scents mix well together, and they fill Ethan’s nostrils with so much delight that he might just get high off of it. And he can’t get enough of the smells either. If there was a cologne in the exact scent all the candles create, he’d buy enough to last him till Armageddon.

_I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know._

He wraps red and white ribbons around the stair rail to give off the illusion of a candy cane, adding a blue bow to every other post (because aesthetic). He hopes his mom doesn’t complain too much about the railing, but she should know by now that when it comes to the holidays Ethan always go above and beyond with the decorations. And he will decorate every last inch of the house until he’s satisfied. Even if it takes him all month. He finishes the stairs by placing a bright Marquee letter on each step so it spells out “ho, ho, ho.”

It’s cheesy, but he loves it anyway.

_Make my wish come true…_

No, Ethan did not buy a new tree topper this year. That’s probably the only decoration that stays consistent each year (and of course the tree). The tree topper is a beautiful crystal angel dressed in white with gold wings and pink and silver accents. It’s passed down from his moms’ side of the family and holds a special place in his heart. And he’ll use it every year, even if it doesn’t match his color scheme. But family heirlooms top aesthetic decorations any day.

_All I want for Christmas…_

Ethan adds a custom made wreath to every door he can find. All the bedroom doors, the bathroom doors, the garage door. Even the linen closet. Why does the linen closet need a wreath? Because it’s Christmas and he says so dammit.

_…is…_

The only decoration he didn’t put up by himself was the decorations outside of his house because that would be insane. He and his dad spent the day before hanging up lights and putting up decorations from the very tip of the roof all the way to the fence. Call it extravagant, extra, or crazy (or all three) but Ethan prides himself on having the best decorated house on their block every year.

And Rory’s flashy reindeer display can royally _kiss his ass_.

_…you._

He flicks the switch, and his house illuminates the block, brightening the snowy December night. Flashes of yellow, red, and blue dance on the sidewalk as the fake Santa in the lawn moves to the beat of the music.

_Da dun, da dun, da dun._

Ethan, clad in matching Christmas socks, a sweater, and Christmas lights slung around him, shamelessly dances across his living room floor to the music, using a remote as a makeshift microphone as he lip syncs. And to be honest, he’s really breaking it down right now, dancing like it’s the last thing he’ll ever be able to do. And remember when we thought that Ethan Morgan absolutely does not dance (i.e. the Halloween party)? Well that rule doesn’t seem to apply when it’s Christmas time, and he’s decorating and listening to music. All he needs is some hot chocolate and Mariah Carey, and he’ll start sliding across the floor like Tom Cruise in ‘Risky Business’.

He also needs to be home alone.

_I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need._

He moonwalks (yes. Moonwalks) past the couch, switching the throw pillows from the generic Ikea ones his mom bought to some holiday themed ones, with candy canes, snowmen, and various holiday quotes stitched into the fabric. He even goes the extra mile and adds a mini wreath and candles to the coffee table without missing a beat.

_And I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree._

Ethan places the presents he already wrapped under the tree, including presents for his friends, his parents, Jane, some neighbors, and his grandparents. He started his Christmas shopping pretty early to avoid long lines, big crowds, sold out items, and most importantly Black Friday. He pretty much wins the Christmas shopping game this year.

_I don’t need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace._

Unironically he hangs up four stockings on the fireplace, underneath the garland and candles. Each one labeled for him, his parents, and Jane. And yes, they are blue, white, and silver to match the color scheme. And yes, he buys new stockings every year.

He can’t think of a good reason for why he enjoys decorating by himself so much, other than he likes having control over how everything looks and where it goes. It’s the one time of the year he’s allowed to do whatever he wants with the house without anyone else interfering. And in a way it’s very fair. He gets to decorate for the Christmas season, and Jane and his parents can do whatever they want for the rest of the year.

Ethan’s front door opens just as he finishes adding a little snowy village to the windowsill in his kitchen. A couple of flurries dust the door mat as Benny walks in. He takes his snow covered coat off and drapes it over a chair, perfectly in sync with the music. “_Santa Claus won’t make me happy with a toy on Christmas day_.” He smiles at Ethan as he kicks off his boots.

Ethan dances over to him. “_I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know_.”

“_Make my wish comes true_.” Benny wraps his arms around Ethan, and they beam at each other as they finish the chorus together.

“_All I want for Christmas is you_!” They sing in unison. The two wear goofy lovesick grins as they dance with each other, Ethan’s cheeriness contagious and causing Benny to feel ten times happier than he was when he entered the house. That and the bliss from the Christmas music and the aroma from the candles and the atmosphere in general adding to the merriness. Huh, maybe that’s why they say “Merry” Christmas (it’s not).

Finally, after dancing with each other like big ole saps, the song ends, and Michael Bublé’s _Let It Snow_ plays from the surround sound. Ethan, slightly out of breath, lowers the volume so it’s more like background noise rather than a rave. He turns back to Benny, who stands in the living room watching him expectantly, and throws out his arms. “_Merry Christmas_.” He exclaims. He cups Benny’s cheeks and kisses him silly, Benny meeting him halfway.

Benny smiles into the kiss before pulling back. “Merry Christmas? Babe, it’s only December first.” He chuckles as Ethan pulls him to the couch.

They plop down on the couch, limbs tangling together. “Exactly. Christmas officially starts on December first, and every day after that is an acceptable day to celebrate. These are basic Christmas facts Benny.” Well if you think about it, it’s morally acceptable to start celebrating right after Halloween. But there’s the whole American Thanksgiving thing, and some people just wanting November to be a strictly fall month and _whatever_. Honestly, if it were up to Ethan (and if it were socially acceptable), he’d start his Christmas preparations November first and forget about everyone else’s opinions. Maybe once he’s living on his own he’ll start doing that. But if his mom see’s even the smallest bit of tinsel before the beginning of December she’ll ban Christmas for life.

Ethan’s not saying his mom is the Grinch but hey, if the shoe fits…

Benny shakes his head. “You’re cute,” he kisses Ethan’s nose, “but insane. You’re honestly the only person I know who manages to decorate in one day and _refuses_ any form of help. And you make it look easy. And fun.” Benny on the other hand hates holiday decorating. He’s more of a minimalist when it comes to that, preferring to have a nice simple Christmas tree with ornaments and lights. What else does one need anyway? Those are like the Christmas essentials. The Christmas starter pack. But Grandma like’s going all out (as does Ethan) with decorations and baking and lights and tinsel and caroling and fa la la la la and it all just exhausts Benny (“You’re just like your father you know.” She usually says every time he complains during the holiday season. “Doing the bare minimum and leaving me to do the grunt work.”). But decorating makes Ethan genuinely happy, happier than he is the rest of the year. So why not let him live his best life?

“That’s because it is fun.” Ethan insists. “I still don’t get how you can be satisfied with just a Christmas tree. Like, what about the stockings, and wreaths, and nativities—”

“Alright, alright. Ugh, I’m already exhausted hearing all those Christmas words.” Benny pinches the bridge of his nose in mock exhaustion, earning a shove from Ethan.

“Oh, screw you.”

“Gee Ethan I figured we’d talk about it first, but if you really want to…”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Ethan exasperates, shoving Benny a second time. Benny hollers with laughter at the deep blush that spreads on his face. He doesn’t say anything else about ‘screwing’, despite how cute it is to see Ethan blush. They’ve never actually discussed the _devil’s tango_ yet, so any further banter would probably leave both boys feeling awkward and uncomfortable. One _devil’s tango_ joke a day should suffice.

Benny gestures to the already wrapped presents under the tree. “And you’re also the only person I know to have the majority of his Christmas shopping done before anyone else.” Benny shakes his head. “I don’t know how you manage to get so much done in so little time, but I gotta say you have a talent for this.”

“Not talent.” Ethan absentmindedly fidgets with the placement of the mini snowmen on the coffee table. “Strategy. Most of the stress people accumulate during the holiday’s is caused by the rush of holiday shopping, and leaving it all to the last minute. I’ve learned that if I complete all my holiday shopping early and buy most of the gifts online, I can avoid that stress and make Christmas time more enjoyable for myself. And when I say early, I mean as early as possible.” He leans back to look at Benny who’s giving Ethan a knowing look.

“You started shopping in September again didn’t you?”

Ethan shrugs without meeting Benny’s eyes. “…so what if I did?”

“Like I said,” Benny laughs, his arm wrapped around Ethan’s shoulders, “cute but insane. And definitely my type.” He plants a kiss on Ethan’s lips just as the doorbell rings. They both groan as they reluctantly pull apart and disentangle themselves. Well, they at least had a few minutes of alone time, which would probably be easier to have if they were out to their friends and family but…

We’ll talk about that later.

Ethan clears his throat. “It’s open!”

The door opens. Rory and Erica walk in, both decked in Canada Goose attire and covered in snow flurries. Rory takes his jacket off and gives them a goofy look. “Ho, ho, ho bitches! Anybody ordered two sexy blonds with a blood thirsty appetite?”

“Try next door.” Benny says. “They seem to have a low supply of reckless bastard and off brand barbie.”

“If I gauge your eyeballs out and feed them to you, would you like them fried or baked?” Erica drawls, kicking off her boots

“Joke’s on you. I’m actually a vegan.”

“You literally had a Popeyes chicken sandwich yesterday.”

“How do you know it wasn’t vegan?”

“Because they—” Erica stops, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. _Not worth my time, not worth my time, not worth my time_. “Anyway, it’s literally brick outside. Is there a good reason why we had to have movie night on the snowiest day this year? Couldn’t it wait till next week, or the summer, or some other day when the weather isn’t looking for Alaska?” She all but falls into an armchair.

“No John Green references in this household.” Ethan adjusts the ornaments on the tree as he speaks. “And no, we could not do this another day. It’s tradition for us to have a movie marathon on the first weekend of December! We’ve been over this a hundred times.”

“Does it count as a tradition if we’ve only been doing it for two years?” Rory asks as he balances himself on the arm of the same armchair.

“Yes, it still counts if we’ve only been doing it for two years. How are we supposed to solidify the importance of a tradition if we don’t stick be it consistently?”

Nobody seems to have an answer to that, giving Ethan the satisfaction that his point got across. In reality, nobody in their right mind would dare argue with Ethan about something Christmas related. They’re all equally scared of the actual Christmas monster he morphs into when it regards his favorite time of the year. It doesn’t hurt to just let him have his way on things like this. It gives everyone else better peace of mind.

“Anyway,” Ethan’s smile returns to his face as the music changes to Madonna’s _Santa Baby_. “Who wants hot chocolate?”

“I do.” Erica smirks. “As long as Benny didn’t make it.”

“Hey!” Benny whines. “I resent that.” He made a faulty truth serum one time people! _One time_!

And he makes _great_ hot chocolate dammit!

“Alright. Five hot chocolates coming right up.” He makes his way into the kitchen. “By the way, where’s Sarah? I thought she was coming with you guys.”

“She got held up in traffic with her mom. She was stuck on the highway for half an hour. But she should be here soon.” Erica responds. “Of course we wouldn’t have this problem if we’d just postponed movie night because of the weather…”

“In your dreams blondie.” Ethan calls from the kitchen, causing both Benny and Rory to snort loudly. Ethan comes back in the room holding a tray with five steaming mugs and starts handing them to each of his friends.

“Hey, did any of you get her that Pandora charm she’s been hinting at since the beginning of time?” Benny asks as he grabs his mug. “Because that is one difficult piece of jewelry to get a hold of, and if you somehow managed to get it you’ve earned my respect for the next decade.”

He’s of course referring to the very special yet very rare and very hard to find Shine Family Tree dangle charm from Pandora. Sarah’s had her eye on that specific charm for the past two years, and has stated multiple times that that would be the perfect gift for her for any occasion. Christmas, birthdays, any random day. She just really wants that charm. And she’d get it herself if it weren’t so hard to actually get.

It’s kind of a running joke among them now though. How many times can they attempt to get the charm before they give up because the universe doesn’t want Sarah to have it?

Erica shakes her head. “Nope. It sold out within ten minutes of its release this year. Just like it did last year.”

“Yeah, and the ladies at Pandora nearly killed me when I tried to get my hands on it on Black Friday.” Rory adds. “I thought I’d have the upper hand, y’know, being a vampire and everything. I was painfully wrong.” Rory rubs at his ribs as if remembering the pain of being trampled by dozens of ravenous Pandora shoppers. He shudders a bit at the memory.

Benny groans. “Great. Another Christmas of Sarah pretending not to be disappointed that she didn’t get the only thing she really wants. And another year of her dropping very unsubtle hints about it. Does this make us bad friends? I’m pretty sure this makes us bad friends.”

“It makes me a bad friend.” Erica scoffs. “I’m her best and longest friend here. I should be the one to get her that charm.”

“We’re all her friends. It should be a group effort to get our friend a gift that means more to her than that all you can eat coupon to Buffalo Wild Wings.”

“How many times do I have to say my Amazon orders were delayed so I had to work with what I had!” Rory exclaims defensively.

“And all you had was a coupon to Buffalo Wild Wings?”

“Yes! I had no use for it! What does a vampire need an all you can eat coupon for anyway?”

Erica sighs. “Rory she’s a vampire too.”

“Oh. Right.”

It takes a minute before Benny notices the shit-eating grin Ethan has on his face. He hasn’t contributed anything to the conversation at hand, and Benny is almost certain he has something important to say. He clears his throat. “E, you got something you wanna share with the rest of the class?”

Ethan excitedly bites his lip and nods. He wasn’t sure if he was going to tell the others since he wanted to leave it as a surprise. But now they’re looking at him expectantly and they’re already on the subject, and he’s too damn excited to keep it to himself anymore. “I got it.”

“Got what exactly?”

“The charm. I got the Pandora charm.”

It takes a few seconds for the news to register, but soon enough Benny, Erica and Rory are jumping out of their seats as if he’d just announced a trip to Cancun. All three are talking at the same time at speeds that shouldn’t be possible. It’s making Ethan’s head spin more than it already was from the excitement (and probably from lighting so many candles at once. He should probably put out a couple).

“Shut up!”

“Bro, seriously?”

“Dude you’re lying.”

“How did you—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Sarah is gonna_ freak_.”

“Whoa, whoa!” Ethan’s voice cuts through the excitement. “One at a time. I can’t hear you if you’re all talking at once.”

“Fine. Me first.” Erica pushes the other two boys out of the way. “How the hell did you manage to get that charm when I’ve been trying to get my hands on it for years? The thing sold out in minutes when it was available last week!”

Ethan smirks. “I have my ways.”

“Cut the bullshit Morgan and tell us.”

“Yeah I second that.” Benny appears next to Erica. “You can’t just spring something like that on us and expect us to not ask questions bro.” Ethan tries to hide his small flinch at Benny’s use of the word ‘bro’, but he’s sure Benny notices anyway. As he always does. It’s difficult when you get so used to pet names like ‘babe’, but have to code switch to more platonic words depending on where they are. He shakes the feeling off for now (because now is definitely not the time to think about his sexuality). “Especially something as serious as that charm. And why didn’t you at least tell me you got it? And when exactly did you get it anyway?”

“Alright, I’ll tell you guys, but then I’ll have to kill you.” His met with three unimpressed expressions. “Anyway, I’ve been subscribed to the Pandora newsletter since last Christmas because I know that every time they’re in stock they sell out quick. And they just so happened to have a surprise sale on the charm in September. I ordered it two minutes after it’s release.”

“Oh my god Ethan you’re incredible.” Erica squeals. “I could kiss you right now! Don’t quote me on that.”

“Oh-kay.” Ethan chuckles awkwardly, shifting his feet. “And please don’t.”

“Ethan you are literally a Christmas miracle.” Benny drapes his arm around Ethan’s shoulder, the smaller teen leaning into the touch without thinking. “Forget baby Jesus, you’re the reason Christmas is worth celebrating.”

“Yeah, and if Sarah didn’t like you before, she’ll definitely be all over you now dude.” Rory chimes in. As he does.

Ethan blinks. “What?”

“Oh, you know.” Ethan shakes his head because he has no idea what Rory’s talking about. “You got her the charm. The one thing she’s always wanted. If that doesn’t spell out boyfriend material then I don’t know what does.” Rory winks. “And maybe the two of you will finally become an item after this, since y’know, you’ve had the massive crush on her since freshman year.”

Ethan hopes the color in his face didn’t drain completely, but he’s sure it did. He feels Benny’s arm tense around his shoulder the more Rory speaks, and Ethan stiffens under his arm. Of course, he forgot about the fake crush on Sarah he’d told them all about. But he assumed they all forgot about it too. It’s not like he’s put any effort into reminding them that he “likes” Sarah. Though he hasn’t put any effort into convincing them he doesn’t. His eyes feel like the size of saucers as he opens and closes his mouth trying to find something remotely acceptable to say. His mind draws a blank. “Uhh, I, uhh…”

“S-so, E,” Benny speaks up, breaking the awkwardness (Ethan’s sure he’s the only one that felt awkward though), “can we see the charm?”

“The charm.” Ethan repeats because he’s already forgotten what they were talking about before Rory mentioned him and Sarah dating. “The charm! Right sure it’s over here.”

Ethan grabs a gift bag from under the tree and pulls out a small white box, the word ‘Pandora’ engraved on the front of it. Rory, Benny, and Erica crowd around him as he slowly opens the lid, revealing the small gold charm placed neatly inside. Erica gasps from next to him at the way the light glistens off the small diamonds in the little family tree.

“It’s so pretty.” She whispers. “I think I might cry. Can I hold it?”

“Uh, sure.” Ethan reluctantly hands it to her. “But only for a little bit. Don’t want dust getting in it or anything. I want it to look brand spanking new when Sarah opens it.” Erica holds the box close to her face as she admires it, eyes wide like a child’s. Rory stands closer to her than he’s normally allowed to, but both are too mesmerized by the small charm to do anything about it.

“You really outdid yourself this year E.” Ethan turns his attention to Benny, who’s arm is still around his shoulders. “Can’t believe your early shopping habits actually paid off this well.”

“It always pays off.” Ethan says. “How do you think I got you Super Smash Bros. last year even though it was sold out? Like I said, it’s all about strategy.”

“Like I said, you’re cute but completely insane.” Benny mutters for only Ethan to hear, a chill running up his spine. They’re staring into each other’s eyes, and have managed to shuffle close enough to be able to kiss if they wanted to. And Ethan wants to. He really wants to throw caution to the wind and endlessly kiss Benny. He instead tears his eyes away from Benny’s face back to Erica and Rory who have graduated from fawning over the open box to—

“Hey!” Ethan exclaims, breaking out of Benny’s grasp. “Put the charm back in the box! You’re going to get fingerprints all over it and then it’s going to look like a knockoff.”

“But it’s so pretty.” Erica breathes, the dangling charm pinched between her thumb and index finger. “No wonder Sarah’s in love with this thing. I didn’t realize it was this shiny till now.”

“Good to know that Erica’s weakness is pretty shiny objects.” Benny mutters in Ethan’s ear.

Rory, who seems rather impatient, suddenly grabs the charm from Erica’s fingers. “Okay you’ve had it long enough. I like shiny things too.”

Erica reaches for it. “Give it back bird brain.”

“Kiss me and I’ll consider it.”

“_Ugh_. You disgust me.”

“Guys be careful.” Ethan tries to grab the charm from the two bickering vampires. “You’re going to drop it. Or break it.”

“Break what?”

The four of them jump at the sudden voice coming from the doorway. They turn in unison to see Sarah coming over the threshold dusting snow from her hair with her gloved hand. “Ethan we’ve gotta start considering postponing movie night when there’s actual blizzards outside. Do you even realize how slippery it is outside?”

Nobody moves for a minute, everyone partially frozen where they are. They stare at Sarah wide-eyed as if caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. It’s takes a moment for the situation at hand to sink in and for them to process. And once they realize—

“_Sarah_!”

There’s a good five seconds of chaos as they frantically move. Ethan throws the gift bag in an obscure direction, Erica _yeets_ the jewelry box under the couch, Rory slams the charm on the coffee table, and Benny covers Rory’s hand with a bunch of holiday napkins. They’re breathing heavily once all is said and done, and they give Sarah the calmest, most unsuspicious grins they can muster. All Ethan can think about is Mona-Lisa and Jean-Ralphio saying “Don’t be suspicious” from Parks and Rec. _Don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious_.

Sarah gives them a strange look as she takes off her coat. “Are you guys okay?”

“Of course!”

“We’re fine.”

“Why wouldn’t we be okay?”

“Nothing suspicious here!”

“Okay.” Sarah nods slowly as they give her a very unconvincing smile. “So why are you all standing around so awkwardly?”

“Awkward? _Pft_!” Benny speaks, trying his best to save them from suspicion. “We were just, uhhh—”

“—we were singing.”

“—playing charades.”

“—just chillin’, y’know.”

“—we have nothing to hide!”

Ethan wants so badly to start panicking. _She knows. She saw the charm and now the surprise is ruined and she knows._ And it would really suck if she did end up seeing it and now all his working into getting her a great Christmas present would have gone down the drain. He wants to panic so badly (not as much as he wants to hit Rory for making them look even more weird) but he opts to anxiously smiling like the others.

Sarah nods as she walks over to them. Benny and Rory both tense as the apply pressure to their spot on the coffee table. “Alright. I’m going to pretend you guys aren’t acting really weird, and we’re going to start this movie marathon because I didn’t make my mom drop me off here in a freezing tundra for nothing.”

Ethan, Benny, Erica, and Rory nod, and try their best to not be suspicious for the rest of the night (although Rory is _really_ bad at that). They start off movie night by watching both ‘Home Alone’ movies because those are definitely Christmas staples. Sarah insists on watching ‘The Santa Claus’, and Benny demands them watch ‘Rise of the Guardians’. They end the night with The Polar Express, and by the time the end credits are rolling up the screen the five of them are completely knocked out, the light from the television illuminating the dark room. The living room is basically a mess of empty mugs, popcorn, chips, s’mores, soda cans, and candy wrappers.

But the teens aren’t worried about that, or anything really as they slumber, the snow continuing to fall outside the window, and the Polar Express theme playing in the background.

* * *

The next day Samantha Morgan very calmly forces the teens to clean up the mess. And _very_ calmly. As in she smiled sweetly and basically told them if they don’t make the living room spotless she’d get a blow torch. It scares them, but they get to cleaning right away, grateful she didn’t wake them in the middle of the night to do the cleaning because that would have been disastrous. They dump the entirety of the coffee table into a garbage bag (except for Ethan’s precious centerpiece), pile up all the garbage they can, have breakfast, and by the time they’re ready to leave the snow has melted enough that they can make it home without killing themselves.

Monday comes around, and like every other weekday, the Morgan household is abuzz with the family frantically getting ready for work and school. Ethan and Jane have their usual race to get to the bathroom first (Ethan wins much to Jane’s displeasure), and his mom makes their favorite omelets with spinach for breakfast.

“Wow mom!” Jane moans the minute she takes a bite of the breakfast. “These omelets are so good. Forget accounting. You should become a chef and open up a restaurant.” Ethan rolls his eyes at how dramatic Jane is being, although it seems to flatter Samantha as she kisses the top of Jane’s head and leaves the kitchen.

“Kiss up.” Ethan mutters as his mom leaves.

Jane sneers. “If I’m gonna get the new MacBook Air for Christmas, I need to be the favorite kid until the end of December. And that includes complimenting everything mom and dad do even if I have to fake it.” She takes a bit of the omelet to emphasis her words.

“You know, another way to get on her good side is to up your chore game.” Ethan eyes her from around his glass of orange juice.

“Nice try big brother, but you’re not getting out of your chores that easily.”

Ethan shrugs his shoulders innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t.” Jane fondly rolls her eyes. They silently finish their omelets and Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who’s washing the dishes (Ethan wins again. Today is a good day for him).

Once he’s got everything he needs and he’s ready, Ethan sits and waits in the living room for Erica to pick him up. Once Erica and Sarah got their license’s, the group decided to start carpooling it to school (and literally everywhere else) to save time, money, and energy. Neither Erica nor Sarah have complained yet since the group usually pitches in for gas money, but ever since Sarah’s had early morning swim practices the carpooling responsibility has been completely on Erica. Which is fine except her road rage is very scary.

As he waits, he absentmindedly thinks about the events of the weekend. He can’t help but admire the Christmas decorations he did. He says this every year, but he thinks this is his best work yet. He’s really outdone himself this year. And he’s happy that he got it all done in one day. He got it all done within a few hours actually, which is a record for him. At least now he can sit back and enjoy the decorations for the rest of December without feeling hassled by the idea of decorating.

Ethan scrolls through Instagram and Tiktok until he hears a honk from outside. He grabs his bookbag, calls out that he’s leaving, and heads to the door. But before he can even turn the handle, the door is nearly slammed in his face and a frantic blonde is rushing in so fast it almost causes Ethan to spin. Erica starts searching the floor of the living room like a greyhound, looking under surfaces and moving things around with absolutely no explanation.

“Uhh, Erica,” Ethan starts as she searches the fireplace, “what are you doing?”

“My wallet.” She looks through the Christmas tree and curses when she comes up empty. “I can’t find it, and the last time I had it was Saturday when I was here. And I remember because Benny insisted on seeing my student ID. That thing has all my money and my drivers license in it, and if I don’t find it here then we’re all fucked.”

“Oh, right. I forgot to tell you.” Ethan reaches in his bag. “My mom found it last night in the garbage. It must’ve gotten thrown in while we were cleaning or something.” He pulls out the black wallet and Erica’s face washes over with so much relief. She can’t even begin to explain the amount of stress she was under for the past hour because her wallet was lost. She walks over to him and engulfs him in a hug which he awkwardly returns (Erica never hugs anyone besides Sarah. What’s gotten into her lately?).

“Ethan once again you are the epitome of a Christmas miracle.”

He chuckles bashfully. "Ehh, I try my best.”

“You’re too modest.” Erica let’s go of him and ruffles his hair causing him to grumble. “Come on. Let’s get going before Rory takes the Aux and starts blasting Eminem.”

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Eminem.” Ethan retorts as he starts towards the door.

“There is when Rory plays _Rap God_ on a continuous loop for three hours straight—” Erica stops then, her foot brushing something on the floor by the piano. “Hey,” she bends down to pick it up and turns to Ethan, “isn’t this the giftbag for Sarah’s Pandora charm?”

Ethan’s brow furrows and he takes the bag. “Yeah, that’s the bag alright. But what’s it doing over here…?” He looks at Erica who shrugs, just as clueless as him. And why is the bag empty?

Ethan traces through his memories to Saturday. He knows for a fact that he put all the wrapped and ready gifts under the tree after he decorated. He also remembers putting Sarah’s gift with everything else because it’s the smallest one and it was the last one to be placed under the tree. He also remembers mentioning it Benny, Rory, and Erica when they asked if anyone got the charm. And it all slowly comes back to him as he remembers showing them the charm, and Rory talking about him and Sarah dating (and maybe he partially blocked out the memory because of that). And he remembers Rory and Erica acting like children over it until Sarah…

Until Sarah walked in.

It all hits Ethan like a van of bricks. His face pales and his body suddenly feels cold. He drops to the floor and search every possible inch in a frenzy. “Oh no.” He looks under the couch and finds the empty Pandora box. “No, no, no, no, no, no this can’t be happening.” His heart threatens to burst right through his chest as he continues to look but comes up empty. _Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic._ He searches every inch of the coffee table, basically destroying his intricately placed Christmas centerpiece, but he comes up short. Okay, now he can start panicking. _Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry_.

“Ethan, what’s going on?” Erica cautiously walks up to him as he collapses against the couch. “We gotta get going if we’re going to get to school on time.”

“The charm.” He pants, running a hand through his now sweaty hair. “T-the special Pandora charm for Sarah.” He holds out the empty jewelry box. “It’s gone. I-it’s not anywhere here. I don’t know where it is, and I don’t know what happened to it—”

“Whoa, whoa, Ethan just breathe.” Erica crouches down next to him. “We’ll find the charm, okay? It has to be somewhere around here because it can’t just walk. Don’t lose your shit just yet. Where was the last place you remember seeing it?”

“Um.” Ethan stutters between breaths. “It was on the coffee table I think. Rory put it there after Sarah came and I never put it back in the box.”

“The coffee table.” Erica repeats. “I remember that. I think that’s also where I left my wallet before it ended up in the garbage…”

Ethan and Erica’s eyes grow wide and their mouths make an ‘O’ when realization hits them. They dumped the entirety of the coffee table into a garbage bag. The _entirety_ of the coffee table.

The charm was on the coffee table.

Ethan’s on his feet and running to the kitchen in three seconds flat. “This can’t be fucking happening.” He searches the garbage but the bin is completely empty with a new bag in it’s place. His heart is dropping at an intense rate as he shakes the bin upside down, hoping by some miracle the charm would fall out of it and he won’t have to worry.

Guess he’s out of luck when it comes to Christmas miracles.

“Any reason why you’re playing with the garbage?”

Ethan drops the bin like it’s a hot rock and spins around to meet his mothers questioning look. “Mom!” He basically shouts. “Hey. I was just, uhh…”

“Your sister already took out the garbage if that’s what you’re looking for.” Samantha walks past him and grabs her car keys. “The sanitation guys should be around soon to pick it up.”

“Wait, so the garbage truck hasn’t come yet?”

“Not yet.”

“And what are the odds that yesterday’s garbage will still be there?”

“Rather high, since I’ve told you countless times, the garbage truck doesn’t come on our block on the weekends.” She shakes her head. “Is there a specific reason why you’re suddenly so interested in the garbage?”

Ethan let’s out a huge breath of relief as he starts backing out of the kitchen. “There is, and I will tell you all about it later, but I need to hurry up now before—”

_Grrrrrrreeeeeeeeaaaaaacccccccccchhhhhhhhhhh BOOM_

That breath of relief came too soon.

Ethan’s gut drops right into his feet and the final layers of panic settle in at the all too familiar loud and obnoxious noises. He closes his eyes and hopes those sounds are just a depiction of his imagination caused by his anxiety. But there’s no such luck as he opens his front door and sees the two garbage men throwing full bags into the truck. Ethan watches in horror as the truck eats the trash bags with a big crunch. And in one of those bags is the charm. The charm nobody’s been able to get their hands on except him. The charm that was supposed to be Sarah’s perfect Christmas gift. Eaten by a garbage truck.

Erica appears next to him. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.” But the truck is already noisily driving away to the next block, taking all the garbage and the charm with it.

Ethan doesn’t even realize he’s dropped to his knees. “_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was getting to damn near 30 pages so I split it in two. Part 2 will be up very soon.
> 
> Also I just realized that when you copy and paste chapters from Word, everything I italicized doesn't show up as italicized here and now I have to go through all the chapters and re-italicize everything. Fun. Super fun.


	8. Ho Ho Ho My God part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back with a head cold and the second installment to my late Christmas segment. This whole thing was inspired by an episode of That's so Raven. I hope most of you are familiar with it.

“Do you guys have any idea how hard it was to buy that charm the first time?” Ethan paces the length of the empty art studio they’ve conjugated in, doing his best not to knock over any of the isles or art supplies. “I was up until 3 am on the Pandora site waiting to buy it, and I had already been waitlisted five times before that. Five _fucking_ times! That charm was one of the most important gifts I’ve ever bought, and now it’s gone. What am I supposed to do now?”

It’s been a very stressful morning so far. Ethan hasn’t been able to focus on anything besides the noise the garbage truck made as it crushed his hopes and dreams with one crunch. He feels like he’s been floating through his classes, not retaining much of anything and not caring either. The car ride to school was also a big blur with Benny, Erica, and Rory equally freaking out over the lost Pandora charm. The sound of their frantic arguing became white noise to Ethan as they approached the school, and as his body failed to completely process the fact that the charm he worked so hard to find is gone so easily. And now it’s lunch, and he’s had four periods to process his heaping shit of a morning, and his anxiety has skyrocketed, and he hasn’t done anything but freak out because now Sarah doesn’t have a gift from him and Christmas might as well be cancelled this year.

Rory and Erica look equally sheepish as Ethan paces. He hasn’t verbally blamed them for anything that’s happened, but they know that this is partially their fault’s. Erica and Rory were the ones holding the charm, and had Erica not taken it out of the box in the first place they probably wouldn’t be in this mess. They should be taking some responsibility here.

“You know, this is just great. This is fantastic. I had the perfect gift for Sarah, something she’s wanted for two whole years, something she’s practically begged for. Something she’d really appreciate. And just like that it’s gone. Forever.” Ethan plops down into one of the art stools in a heap. “That’s it. Christmas is cancelled this year guys. I’m not celebrating it. Pack up the mistletoe and holly because Christmas is ruined and we’re skipping a year.”

“He can’t just cancel Christmas, right?” Rory mumbles to Erica who shoots him clear daggers that say, ‘shut the hell up’.

“Someone explain this to me.” Benny adds from his spot next to the window, arms crossed with displeasure. “How is it that none of us remembered to put the charm back in the box at any point in the night? That would have been the logical thing to do when Sarah almost caught us red handed. Calmly put the charm in its rightful place, and then place it right back under the tree. But no, instead the charm ended up in the trash and the box was yeeted under the couch.”

“I’m sorry!” Erica says defensively. “I panicked. And when I panic, things get thrown.”

“Well let me call the baseball team and let them know they have a new recruit for the upcoming season.” Erica pouts. “And that’s not even the biggest flaw here. The real question is_ why_ did we put the charm on the coffee table in the first place?” Benny not so subtly directs his question to Rory, who gives him a nervous smile in return.

“I, uh, didn’t have pockets and the coffee table was right there so…”

“You couldn’t have just, oh I don’t know, kept it in your hand instead?”

“Well you _covered_ it with napkins. Why didn’t you just take it out of my hands if you have so many great ideas?”

“Don’t try to pin this on me when you two were the one’s fighting over a shiny object like children!”

“There’s nothing wrong with liking shiny things!”

“_tHeRes nOtHiNg wRoNg wItH lIkIng sHiNy tHiNgS_!”

Erica has to hide her laugh with a cough after Rory shoots her a disapproving look. “Sorry. Throats a little dry.”

Rory brushes it off. “Look, fighting over who to blame isn’t going to get us anywhere. We need to start thinking of a way to find another charm and fast. Any ideas?”

“What if we tried calling different Pandora’s or jewelry stores around us to see who might have it in stock or be carrying it?” Erica suggests. “We’re bond to find something useful, right?”

Benny nods, surprised at Erica’s willingness to help out. Getting Erica to participate in situations like this is typically like pulling teeth. And since Sarah can’t be part of this because of obvious reasons, he expected Erica to back out completely, telling the boys that they’re on their own in this one. Maybe it has something to do with the guilt she feels about partially being responsible for this mess. Or maybe she’s just bored. Like usual.

He speaks after a moment. “That’s not a bad idea. There has to be at least one jewelry store near Whitechapel selling the charm. And if we work together we should be able to find it.”

“What’s the use?” Ethan, now lifelessly laying spread eagle on the floor, drones. “Those charms are impossible to find, especially during the holidays. That’s why I bought it in September when nothing special was going on. And even then, buying it in the first place was a stroke of dumb luck. There’s no way I’d be able to get it a second time. I’ll just have to get her something mediocre like every year and watch her be disappointed. Again.”

“I could give you a coupon if you want.” Rory chimes in. As he does.

Benny ignores him (because the next option is to punch him in the neck) as he crouches down next to Ethan. “Don’t say that E. Don’t lose hope just yet. It’s only December third. We have the whole month to look for that charm. And I’m sure if all four of us try hard enough, one of us is bond to find it. And we’re not going to stop until we do, so Christmas isn’t ruined yet buddy.” He doesn’t know what to do with his hands since he can’t hold Ethan’s, so he pats Ethan’s shoulder awkwardly.

Ethan slowly sits up, eyeing his boyfriend and the two blonds with big brown eyes. Rory and Erica look just as sincere as Benny does, which is reassuring because part of him wants to just give up and call this Christmas a failure. But the other part of him wants to give it one more shot. If not for him, then for Sarah. “You guys are really going to help me?”

“Of course.” Benny smiles as he helps Ethan stand up. “We’re all at fault here. Some of us more than others.” He side-eyes Erica and Rory. “So, it’s only fair that we put in the work too. Right guys?”

Rory nods. “For sure. There’s 22 days left until Christmas. The charm has got to be available for purchase somewhere, right?”

Ethan looks at Benny who’s giving him a supportive look. Ethan sighs, his anxiety lessening by the second. He’s not sure if they’ll find anything, but it’s comforting to know that his friends have his back on this seemingly impossible quest. Ethan straightens up. “Alright. We start tonight at my house. Bring snacks and make sure your phones are charged because it’s gonna be a long night.”

* * *

Unsurprisingly a long night turned into an even longer three weeks because before anyone knows it, it’s December 21st, school’s about to let out for Christmas break, the ground has collected a healthy layer of snow, and Ethan, Benny, Rory, and Erica have not had any luck in finding the Pandora charm. They’ve met up just about every day to call stores, search websites, and gamble on the dark web, and they’ve visited every mall and shopping center they could possibly think of. But even after all that they’ve come up empty handed. And the faster Christmas approaches, the faster Ethan feels like hyperventilating over the thought of not having Sarah’s gift in time. He’s never been unprepared like this for Christmas before. It’s unlike him. And it’s very unsettling.

The four of them have spent another afternoon in Ethan’s room calling countless stores trying time find one with an available charm. But at this point it’s a done deal. There’s no way they’re going to find anything with Christmas only a couple days away. They tried their best not to lose hope on this but honestly it’s gotten to a point where trying feels useless.

“Guys let’s face it.” Ethan says as he ends the call he was on. “We’re too late. We’re not going to find anything with Christmas this close. We’ll just have to try again next year and hope for the best. Again.” _And the running joke of the Pandora charm continues for another year_, he thinks.

“Come on Ethan, don’t lose hope yet.” Rory tries. “We still have a few days left. We have enough time for a Christmas miracle.”

“I think I’ve used up all my miracles for the year.” Ethan grumbles, falling back on his bed with an _oomph_. He throws his arm over his face. “You know what guys, it’s okay. I’ll just find a different gift for Sarah this year. Maybe something from Sephora or Pink or one of those stores that girls shop at. She likes those places, right?” Ethan tries not to let the disappointment show because he knows his friends tried their best to find the Pandora charm. They put in a lot of effort to save Christmas for Ethan, but it’s time to accept the fact that even their best efforts just aren’t enough.

And he guesses it is okay that he found the perfect gift for just about everyone except Sarah. At least he tried though. _Boy_ did he try. What was that saying about ‘it’s the thought that counts’?

He’s going to keep telling himself that it’s the thought that counts.

“I’m sorry E.” Benny sits next to him. “I know you were looking forward to Sarah finally getting the gift she’s always wanted. But she’ll still really like whatever gift you decide to get her anyway.”

Ethan shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Sorry for ruining Christmas for you buddy. I know how much you love this holiday and how much effort you put into making it special.”

Ethan shakes his head. “No, you guys didn’t ruin it. I was being dramatic when I said Christmas was ruined. But it’s okay now. Nobody meant for the charm to get thrown away, and I still have enough time to find something else Sarah will like. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Yeah, but it would have been nice to make Sarah extra happy with that Pandora charm.”

Ethan chuckles. “It would have. I’ll just try again next year. It’s no biggie.”

“_You guys have one_?”

Ethan, Benny, and Rory shoot up from their respective spots at the sudden exclamation. They turn their gazes to Erica, who’s sitting up straighter than before in Ethan’s desk chair, phone pressed firmly to her ear. “Uhh, y-yes gold family heritage charm. That’s the one. Are you sure you have it in stock?” She waits as the person on the other line speaks. “Great, okay! Hold on one second.” She mutes the call and turns to the boys excitedly. “Guys I’m on the phone with Jared’s. They have one charm left in stock!”

Rory jumps up from the floor. “It’s a Christmas miracle!”

It takes all of Ethan’s willpower not to mimic Rory’s actions, but he’s honestly so relieved he could literally cry. “Quick, ask them to place it on hold until tomorrow!”

Erica nods, unmuting the call. “Hi, is there any way you can place it on hold until tomorrow? I can pick it up maybe some time in the afternoon… Right, okay hold on one more second.” She mutes the call again, this time slightly unsure. “They said they can only hold it until 3 pm.”

“Damn, that’s cutting it pretty close.” Benny says. “We get out of school at 2:45.”

“Yeah, and—”

“Doesn’t matter!” Ethan interrupts Erica, jumping up and grabbing her phone. “We’ll have to figure something out.” He ignores her attempts at taking the phone from him. Doesn’t matter what time they leave school. He’s come this close to having his perfect Christmas restored, and he’s not about to have it slip through his fingers again. He unmutes the call. “Hi, we’ll be there by 3 to pick up the charm. The names Ethan Morgan. Thank you so much.” He ends the call and is engulfing Benny, Rory, and Erica in a bone crushing hug without any warning right after.

He jumps up and down with them for a minute before Benny complains that he can’t breathe, and Ethan is forced to let go. But he’s so utterly happy that he doesn’t stop jumping around like an excited flea because Christmas has been saved. _It’s been saved_! “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe after three weeks we finally got the charm! Rory buddy you were right. We did have enough time for a Christmas miracle.”

Rory grins. “So, what you’re saying is _I_ saved Christmas.”

“Uh, sure.” That’s not at all what he’s saying but he’s too damn happy to say otherwise. “But guys we really need to celebrate this win. I can’t believe we’re lucky enough to find the rarest Pandora charm ever twice, and right before Christmas at that.”

“Y’know I could’ve sworn I called Jared’s at least three times last week.” Benny wonders. “And the third time the customer service lady got really nasty and threatening, and I might just have to be a Karen and leave a really bad Yelp review for them.”

“Well did you call the Jared’s in Yorkville Village?” Erica finally speaks apprehensively.

“No, why would I do that?” Benny asks.

“Because the Jared’s I was on the phone with is in Yorkville Village.”

“…god _dammit_!”

And just like that, the little bubble Ethan was in for all of 45 seconds pops, because of course there’s a catch to their little Christmas miracle. Of _course_, things can’t just work out easily for Ethan when he really needs them to. And of course, the only family heritage charm available in all of Ontario is in Yorkville Village.

Of fucking course.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” Ethan breathes, pinching the bridge of his nose. The high he was feeling is suddenly gone all too fast, like when you stand up to fast after lying down for a long time and see stars. Yeah, his head is full of very aggravated stars right now.

“Are you serious?” Benny exclaims. “_Yorkville Village_? That’s the only Jared’s you could have called?” Erica just shrugs. “That place is at least an hour away by car! How the hell are we supposed to get there by 3 pm? And why didn’t you mention that before we told them to place the charm on hold?”

Erica snarls. “Oh, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to warn you before my phone was rudely snatched out of my hand.” She grabs her phone from Ethan’s grasp much rougher than she intended. “The next time you snatch something from me you will lose a finger.” She gives him a warning look and Ethan takes a step back. Just as a precaution.

“Okay.” He starts. “Anyway, let’s all calm down for a bit and put our heads together. This is just a minor setback, but we can work our way around it. We need to figure out a way to get to Yorkville before 3 pm or we run the risk of losing the charm. Any ideas?”

The group grumbles into silence as they try to come up with a way to get to the mall in Toronto despite them getting out of school a mere fifteen minutes prior. Which honestly feels impossible. The fastest way to get there is by car, and that’s only counting on traffic not being too bad. But they’ve already gotten this far. It would be a shame to give up hope when they’re so close to the finish line.

“We could skip.” Rory suggests after a moment of pondering.

“Yeah, and let’s also vandalize a church while we’re at it.” Benny deadpans.

“No, I’m being serious. Our last period is being subbed by Mrs. Keating, and you know how lax she is with taking attendance.” Everyone nods as he speaks. Mrs. Keating is a nice old lady who gives out Hershey kisses and tells everyone stories about the ‘70s. She’s also terrible at taking attendance, and can’t tell any of the students apart from a rock on the street. So, she probably wouldn’t be able to notice if four students were mysteriously absent from the class so long as someone was able to say ‘here’ when she takes attendance. “All we need to do is get someone to cover for us, and we should be able to slip out without being noticed. And Andrew Mackie owes me a big one so he should be able to do it.”

“Guys, Rory is on to something.” Benny nods as he thinks about it more. “Last year the Crazy Quints skipped one of the classes she was subbing to help decorate backdrops for the drama club. If we’re careful enough, we can possibly pull this off. But last period starts at 2:00, so even if we do cut class we still run the risk of not making it in time. We’d have to leave school earlier than that.”

“I have a free period right before then.” Erica says quickly. “I can come up with a way to get you guys out of your classes early and we can hopefully leave the school without being noticed.”

“Right. Without being noticed.” Ethan chuckles, and his friends look at him like he’s a mad man. They wouldn’t be wrong though, because this whole conversation is making him feel like a mad man. “Guys are you being serious right now? Are you hearing yourselves? Are we really considering skipping school and going all the way to Toronto?”

Benny shrugs. “Well, yeah. We don’t have much of a choice here E. It’s either we skip or we lose the charm.”

“Yeah but this is serious. Skipping school? What if we get caught? Do you know how badly cutting school is going to look to colleges? And on top of that what our parents will do to us if they find out we’re taking a road trip across the province?” He looks around at them but is only met with blank stares. He groans in frustration. “And why am I the only one seriously doubting this plan? This isn’t some simple slap-on-the-wrist type of activity. This is skipping school, which need I remind you guys is considered a felony. If we don’t get seriously suspended from this, we’ll get jail time. Do I look like someone who’d survive jail?” He’s started pacing again, which is never good. Pacing usually leads to panic, which usually leads to full on hyperventilating. He needs to remember to breathe. _Breathe Ethan. Breathe_.

“Well, if you don’t drop any soap you should be fine.” Erica smirks, earning a snicker from Rory. Benny shoots them both a look.

Ethan groans again. “I can’t believe you guys are being so nonchalant about skipping school. Why am I the only one who’s seriously worried?”

“Well, because desperate times call for desperate measures. And in my book this qualifies as a desperate time.” Benny takes Ethan’s hand. “I’m worried about what would happen if we get caught too, but we’re just gonna have to risk it at this point.”

Ethan smiles warmly at Benny who returns the look. It takes them a minute to remember they are not alone, and another minute for Benny to realize he’s holding Ethan’s hand. The both quickly detach their hands from each other, blushing madly from the contact.

“Yeah Ethan.” Rory chimes in, not noticing the exchange between the two at all. “We’re part of the reason you’re in this mess in the first place, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to get you out of it.”

Ethan looks between the confident faces of Benny, Rory, and Erica. Three people who are willing to risk suspension and a possible arrest just so his Christmas isn’t ruined. He’s very worried about the risk they’re taking, but his heart fills with fondness when he realizes the lengths his friends are willing to go for him. He’s suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling of being loved and cared for, but he pushes that feeling to the side for later. Eventually he nods. “Alright. Let’s do it then. Operation Yorkville Village is a go.”

* * *

It all seems too easy to be true. Too simple at that.

The day starts out like any other school day with classes, activities, lunch, gossip, etc. The hallways are busy as usual. Classes are just as annoying as they typically are. Everything is quite ordinary when you look at it. Only the school day is anything but ordinary because all Ethan can think about with every passing second is how he, Benny, Rory, and Erica are planning on committing a crime.

Okay, skipping school isn’t that big of a crime but it’s big enough!

The day goes by regularly, with Ethan growing more and more anxious as he goes to his classes and the clock ticks by. All he can think about throughout the day is the possibility of something going wrong in their well thought out plan, like Erica not being able to get them out of class like she said she would. Or someone catching them in the middle of their crime. Or going all the way to Yorkville Village only for the charm to have been bought already and for Ethan to discover he’s now on an episode of _Punk’d_.

And worst of all, it feels like time is passing at a snails pace, and he just wishes it could be second to last period already so he can get the stupid hooky attempt over with.

Eventually, second to last period rolls around, and the plan commences.

Erica tells the boys to be prepared to leave their classes by 1:30. She’s come up with a way to get them out without seeming suspicious, and all they have to do is follow her lead. Sure enough, at around 1:20 Erica comes into Ethan’s Health class with a green slip of paper typically given out from the main office. His teacher tells him to leave with his things, and Ethan stumbles behind Erica as he does so. The whole time his heart is beating so rapidly he’s sure everyone can hear it, and he’s positive they’ve all somehow figured out what he’s up too. But it’s only his brain making him paranoid because before he knows it he’s following Erica down the hallway to where Rory and Benny are “casually” loitering by the bathrooms and admiring the trophy case.

“How did you manage to get those slips from the office?” Ethan asks when he spots Erica with an entire pack of green slips.

“I know a guy.” Is all the answer he gets. He just leaves it at that.

Rory quickly confirms with Andrew Mackie that he’s got them covered with Mrs. Keating for last period before they start the journey out of school. And it’s surprisingly easy to sneak out when you know the different exits and where they lead to. And for whatever reason, Rory knows that the exit in the auditorium right behind the stage is the only exit without a working alarm.

“Principal Hicks thinks the janitors fixed the alarm last year.” Rory explains as they quickly walk past the seats in the auditorium. “But they never fixed it as some act of rebellion against the education system or something. Honestly I’m pretty sure they left it that way so they can sneak out and smoke easily.”

Ethan is baffled that he knows this. “How exactly do you know this?”

“I’m tight with the janitors.” Is his answer. Once again, Ethan leaves it at that.

Just like they planned, Erica had parked her car a block away from the school rather than in the schools parking lot. Otherwise it would’ve been caught on the surveillance cameras that four students are skipping school. You’d think they’d catch it on the surveillance cameras that four students are leaving the building, but Rory also knows a route that’s not caught on camera. Ethan doesn’t even ask how he knows this. By the time they pile in Erica’s Nissan Maxima and she’s pulling away from the curb, it’s 1:30 and they have an hour and a half to get to Yorkville Village.

It’s all so easy, it makes Ethan’s head spin.

“I can’t believe we just did that.” He breathes from the backseat, heart still beating rapidly but this time not so much from anxiety. “I can’t believe we really snuck out of school without anyone catching us. This feels so exhilarating. Sneaking around and breaking the rules. I feel like I can do anything and get away with it.”

“Just wait till your first Acid trip.” Erica drawls as she merges onto the highway. “You’ll really feel exhilarated then. You’d probably try to fly.”

“Please don’t ever take Acid.” Benny leans over and mumbles when he’s sure Erica isn’t listening.

“Didn’t plan on it, I promise.” Ethan replies honestly.

The drive to Toronto is rather easy with little to no traffic. They take turns passing the Aux around over the hour, and Rory quickly loses his privileges his third time playing _Lose Yourself_ by Eminem. By the time they’re parked in the Yorkville Village parking lot it’s 2:30. They waste no time heading into the mall and beginning the journey to Jared’s (which is conveniently all the way on the other side of the mall. Fun). The mall is moderately crowded but nothing too crazy or overwhelming. Nobody bats an eye at (or seems to care about) four teenagers who are clearly cutting school to hang out at a mall many miles away from home (well, not clearly since school dismissal times vary, but you get the picture). So far this plan is playing out perfectly, exactly how they wanted it to. It’s almost as if they were meant to be in the mall at this exact time in this exact way.

“Alright, you guys remember your positions, right?” Ethan says as they take the escalator to the third floor. “Benny, you’re on watch dog duty. Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious or who might turn us in. Rory, you’re our clock. Keep an eye on the time. Erica, you’re using your charisma to do the talking, and I’m paying for the charm. Everyone got it?”

“Are we sure _he_ should be the clock?” Erica jabs a finger at Rory who scoffs offendedly. “He’s not that great with numbers.”

“It’s either that or he does the talking. And I don’t necessarily trust his tongue.”

Erica nods. “Point taken.”

“Well you might want to start trusting me soon.” Rory checks the time on his phone. “We’ve got fifteen minutes to get in Jared’s, buy the charm, and get out. And the store is all the way on the other side, so I suggest we haul ass over there _now_.”

With that being said, the four of them high tail it down the third floor the minute they get off the escalator, navigating through the sudden sea of people on the floor. It feels like they’re in the scene in Home Alone when the family is running through the airport desperately trying to make it to their flight on time. Except they’re desperately trying to make it to Jared’s on time. Cinematic parallels, y’know?

Finally, after going through a damn near obstacle course, they make it to Jared’s. They’re a panting mess, and Benny and Ethan are doubled over to catch their breath, but overall they’re relieved that they still have time left over. Once they regain their composure, they begin Operation In-and-Out-of-Jared’s (or IOJ as Rory calls it). Benny stays perched by the exit, fully on watch dog duty while Erica, Ethan, and Rory enter the store.

A sales-clerk approaches them right away. “Happy holidays. Welcome to Jared’s. My name is Edith. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Erica flashes her what can only be referred to as a customer service smile. “Hi, we called yesterday to place a hold on a Pandora charm. We were told we have until 3:00 to pick it up.”

Edith nods. “Looks like you’re just in time. Come with me and I’ll look it up in the system for you.” She motions for the group to follow her to a counter next to a display of necklaces.

“Seven minutes and counting.” Rory mutters to Ethan. They’re making good time. They’ll be in and out of here in no time.

“I’ll just need the name and phone number associated with the hold.” Edith taps rapidly on an iPad as Erica gives her Ethan’s name and number. “Okay, I see it right here. The Pandora family heritage charm, correct?” Ethan, Erica, and Rory nod like overly used bobbleheads. “You guys are in luck because we have one more left in stock. I’ll be right back with the piece and ring it up for you.” She smiles as she disappears behind a door that assumingly leads to ‘the back’.

Ethan, Erica, and Rory wait until she’s out of earshot before they quietly squeal. “Guys we really did it!” Ethan whisper yells. “We really got the charm _and_ skipped school all in the same day and without getting caught. How did we get this lucky?”

“I don’t know, but we probably shouldn’t question the universe when it’s this nice to us.” Erica grins.

“Do you think anyone at school noticed we’re gone?” Rory pipes in. “Like what if they sent out a search party for us or something?”

Erica makes a tsk noise. “What, you think I’d skip school and not have my tracks covered like some amateur? You may have cut your deal with Andrew Mackie to help with attendance, but I had my own ways of guaranteeing us smoothly getting out of school and getting here. I promise, nobody who matters is going to notice we’re gone. And if anyone does notice, let’s just I’ll take one good _bite_ out of them.” She flashes her fangs for all of two seconds. Ethan slightly jumps away from her.

“Doesn’t matter how long I’ve known you guys. I will never get used to that.” Ethan says just as his phone suddenly vibrates in his jacket pocket. He fishes it out and is slightly confused to see Benny’s face on the caller ID since they left him alone only a minute ago. “We’re almost done in here Benny. The sales lady just went to get the charm. What’s up?”

“Dude we’ve got a serious code blue on our hands!” Ethan’s even more confused, mainly because they never really discussed codes. “You guys need to get out of there _now_! I have eyes on Principal Hicks, and he’s closing in on Jared’s in T-minus 30 seconds! This is not a drill. I repeat this is not a drill.”

You know, Ethan knew it all seemed too easy.

The blood drains from Ethan’s face and his heart drops. He’s frantically looking at the entrance as if the Principal is going to waltz in at that moment. Neither the principal nor Benny are there though. “_What_? Principal Hicks?” Both Rory and Erica’s eyes widen at the name. “What is he doing all the way out here? School only just ended.”

“I don’t know man. Late Christmas shopping maybe.”

“_Ugh_.” Ethan closes his eyes and wills his mind not to spiral into a frenzy because this is so not the time to start panicking. “Okay, where are you right now? Please tell me you’re not exposed or anywhere he can see you.”

“I’m concealed behind some plants by the entrance. He can’t see me, but I have a clear view of him.” Ethan hears Benny gasp on the other end of the receiver. “Oh man, he’s entering Jared’s now. Abort mission! I repeat, abort mission! Get out of there now and make sure he doesn’t see you!”

“_Crap_.” Ethan takes a chance at peeking over his shoulder one last time. Sure enough, Principal Hicks is admiring a display of watches near the store entrance. Ethan turns around quickly, pulling his hoodie over his head and crouching down in an attempt to hide himself. “Principal Hicks is in the store.” He hisses at Erica and Rory, who follow his lead in trying to cover themselves.

“_What_?” Rory gasps. “_Why_? He’s supposed to be at school.”

“No, _we’re_ supposed to be at school. He’s an adult that doesn’t have to be there but can still get us busted if we’re caught. Which is why we need to hurry up and get the hell out of here.”

“What are we supposed to do?” Erica tries her best to cover her face with her hair. “We can’t leave without the charm. I didn’t seduce the new hot office receptionist and drive all the way out here only for us to leave empty handed.” Ethan’s visibly taken aback by the information he just learned but doesn’t have time to ponder it. “But if we get caught we’ll never hear the end of it either. And this stupid sales lady chooses now to take forever. What, did she get lost in a maze back there?”

“Who cares about the sales lady?” Rory whisper yells. “How are we going to get out of here when Hicks is basically barricading our only exit?”

“Maybe we can sneak out through a back entrance! There must be some other door where the store receives shipments, and where the employees can come in and stuff like that!”

Ethan shakes his head. “That’s a terrible idea. What happens if security catches us sneaking behind the counter of a store we don’t work at? What happens when we’re brought in and they have to call our parents for attempted robbery or something? I don’t know about you, but getting caught by Hicks is miles better than mall security calling our parents.”

Erica glares at him. “Well at least it’s something. I don’t see you coming up with any feasible get away plans.”

“Okay, I have an idea. When Edith comes back, you guys cover me while I pay for the charm. Once I got it and the coast is clear, we’re getting the hell out of here without being seen. It will work if we just remember to keep our backs to him on our way out.” The plan sounds half-baked even to himself but at least it’s better than trespassing.

“That’s an even worse idea! We can’t leave without being seen! There’s not enough obstacles to block us or to hide behind. Not to mention, Hicks is standing right by our only escape route.” The trio take another peek and sure enough, the principal is speaking to a salesclerk near an earring display by the entrance. “We’ll just have to wait it out until he leaves.”

“And where are we supposed to hide? Behind the jewelry displays that we’re not allowed to be near? And what if he doesn’t leave for a while? What if we’re in here for hours? It’s gonna look suspicious if three teens are loitering in a jewelry store for an extended amount of time.”

“And it’s going to look even more suspicious if we’re barricading you like bodyguards!”

“Guys!” Rory cuts in. “I hear Edith coming back. Think fast and act natural.”

Ethan immediately straightens up and faces the counter as Edith comes back, giving her a casual smile. Erica and Rory huddle close behind him, using their winter coats to conceal him from wandering eyes as best as possible. At least he hopes they’re concealing him. Principals can’t tell students apart from the backs of their heads, right?

Edith rings up the blue Pandora box. “Would you like to apply for a Jared’s store card? All new card holders will receive fifteen percent off all purchases including this one, and you will be immediately enrolled in our rewards program.”

Does this lady not realize he’s only 16? Or that they’re kind of in a rush? Or that his personal space is being very violated? “Um, no. Just the charm for today.” He watches as Edith taps away on the iPad before telling him the price. Ethan hurriedly pulls his wallet out and hands her a debit card. She takes it, eyeing the trio suspiciously as Erica and Rory put a lot of effort into making themselves taller than Ethan.

“Is everything alright?” She questions as she swipes Ethan card. “You know you don’t have to be this close to the counter…”

Erica’s mouth opens and closes a few times. “Uhh, we’re just really close with each other, y’know?”

“And,” Rory adds, “our friend here has severe social anxiety, and gets nervous around people he doesn’t know. Keeping a close proximity to him helps keep him calm and allows him to interact with others without completely freaking out under pressure.” Both Erica and Ethan give Rory surprised looks at his quick and utterly _brilliant_ thinking. How the hell did he come up with that on the spot?

Ethan and Erica must be gawking at him for a second too long because he jabs Ethan with his elbow and gives him a look that says _just follow my lead_. Ethan faces Edith with wide eyes. “Uhh, i-i-it’s true. I-I-I’m not really good with-with talking, a-a-and interacting.” He starts fidgeting with his hands and glancing around and doing anything he can to convince Edith that he has social anxiety without actually moving (and he sells it because he’s been a theater kid for five years and kills at improve).

Edith gives him a sympathetic look. “Oh, you poor thing. It’s alright though. You’ve been doing amazing this whole time.” She turns the iPad to him and motions for him to sign. “I know how hard it can be, dealing with your mental health like that. But I believe in you sweetie.” She smiles at him reassuringly and Ethan feels bad for tricking her and for exploiting mental illnesses like that. But he doesn’t have time to be apologetic because he can feel Hicks closing in on them and they need to get out of here now.

Finally, Edith hands Ethan a small gift bag and receipt. “There you go. You guys are all set. Enjoy the holidays you three. And remember, don’t let social anxiety define who you are as a person. Keep making strides to greatness.” She gives them one last smile before coming out from being the counter to help another customer.

The trio slowly turn as she walks away. They scan the floor, not seeing Principal Hicks by the entrance anymore, or immediately seeing him anywhere. “Huh, maybe he left.” Ethan mutters as they continue to scan the store.

But he definitely spoke too soon because right as the words leave his mouth, they spot Principal Hicks talking to the same clerk from before while holding a long silver necklace. And this time _he’s facing their direction_.

Uh oh.

Ethan, Erica, and Rory snap back around when they see his face, hearts pounding and foreheads sleek with nervous sweat. “We’re trapped,” Rory’s voice hitches. “We’re trapped in Jared’s in Yorkville Village. Principal Hicks is gonna suspend us for skipping school and my mom’s gonna kill me! Guys what do we do?”

“Uhh,” Ethan stutters, digging through his brain for a possible solution. He glances at the exit, using every last one of his brain cells to calculate the distance between where they are and the exit, and how long it will take for them to get there. “Okay. Principal Hicks is by the sterling silver display. That means we have a slightly clear shot to the exit. If we’re careful, we can make it. But we have to make it over there with our backs to Hicks the whole time.”

“We don’t have much of a choice now, do we?” Erica’s voice sounds more like a squeak.

“Not really, no.”

She nods. “On your lead Ethan.”

With that being said, the three stay huddled together as they sideways shuffle their way to the exit. Ethan takes experimental glances every couple of seconds to make sure Hicks doesn’t notice them. “So far so good.” He mutters once they’re at the halfway point. They ignore the questioning looks of the other store-clerks and customers as they slowly make their way to the exit. Doesn’t matter what the people at this Jared’s think of them at this point. Ethan doubts any of them will ever come to Yorkville Village after this experience.

Ethan glances again over his shoulder. Suddenly, and very shockingly, Principal Hicks locks eyes with him. It’s only for a second, and the Principal looks away immediately afterwards to continue his conversation, but the action frightens Ethan enough to cause him to squawk and stop in his tracks, heart threatening to break his rib cage.

“He saw us.” Ethan hisses. “We made brief eye contact. He’s aware of our presence.”

“How brief was it?” Erica asks.

“Maybe like a second, but a second too long.”

“Okay, maybe he didn’t recognize you. I mean, it’s not like he saw your full face, right?”

Ethan nods because she might be right. Principal Hicks didn’t seem to recognize Ethan from just one glance. He might not even be aware that they made eye contact either. Ethan decides to take another look, just to be sure Hicks isn’t marching over to them right now ready to turn them in.

And, well, he’s not marching over to them so to say. But he’s staring at them with his eyebrow raised suspiciously.

Ethan turns back around. “Okay. He’s on to us. New plan. Hide your faces and make a break for it before he has time to ask questions.”

And with that, they pull their hoods over their faces and their awkward sideways shuffles turns into awkward speed walking, gaining them even more weird looks. Ethan can almost feel Hicks staring daggers into the backs of their heads as they make it to the exit. They ignore the look they get from the security guard as they finally walk out of the store into freedom.

Only they’re not yet free.

They pick up speed once they’re out of the store and in the mall again, nearly crash into Benny who steps out from being the plants when he sees them exit the store.

“There you guys are!” He exclaims. “What took you so long? I thought I’d have to create some elaborate diversion or something.”

“No time to stop and talk Benny.” Ethan grabs his shoulders and pulls him along as they speed walk faster away from the store. “Hicks is on to us, and the more distance we put between us and him, the better.

“What? You mean he saw you guys?” Benny splutters. “You think he followed you out?”

You’d think that by now Ethan would figure out that every time he looks over his shoulder, he doesn’t see anything good. But he does so anyway, as does Benny, Erica, and Rory. And sure enough, Principal Hicks is standing outside of Jared’s, talking to the security guard who’s pointing in their direction. Principal Hicks locks eyes with not only Ethan, but all of them this time. Their heads snap around so fast it gives them whiplash.

“So, we’re in trouble.” Rory nervously chews on his lip. “What’s the plan for escape?”

“Plan? You want a plan?” Benny all but screeches. “Here’s one: run for your fucking lives!”

Did they really need permission to start running though? The four of them make a break for it just as the mall speakers start playing _Run Run Rudolph_ by Chuck Berry. They don’t have to look behind them to know that Principal Hicks is running after them too. They don’t expect anything less from him.

_Out of all the reindeers you know you’re the mastermind._   
_Run, run Rudolph, Randalph ain’t too far behind._

The four of them sprint around a corner, weaving their way through innocent shoppers. They try their bests not to crash into anyone, but even then a few people protest at being stepped on, shoved, or knocked into. But they don’t stop to apologize or see the damage they’ve done. Not when Principal Hicks is right on their tails.

_Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s got to make it to town._  
_Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway dow_n

They end up running through a Santa Land exhibit in the middle of the mall, narrowly avoiding a long line of children and their parents waiting to see Santa. The four of them hide behind a huge Christmas tree right in the middle of the Santa Land. They crouch down and watch as Hicks runs right past the tree, stopping for a breath by Forever 21. Ethan, Benny, Rory, and Erica tiptoe their way around the tree and make a break for it in the opposite direction.

_Run, run Rudolph ‘cause I’m reelin’ like a merry-go-round._   
_Said Santa to a boy child what have you been longing for?_

They get maybe five steps away before a little kid sticks their foot out (probably on purpose because children are demons) causing Benny to trip and fall, which causes Rory to bump into the reindeer display, which causes Ethan to knock over the people hired to be elves, which causes Erica to rip a hole in the Santa Land backdrop. The ruckus is loud enough to gain Hicks’ attention because he turns around, spots the group and is running in their direction. Needless to say they don’t stick around to know if they were naughty or nice.

_All I want for Christmas is a rock and roll electric guitar,_   
_And then away went Rudolph a whizzing like a shooting star_

The group runs past booths and kiosks, and end up running straight through an open concept Dunkin Donuts. Tables are knocked down and chairs are turned over. Innocent bystanders eating donuts and drinking coffee are bumped into, disturbed, and severely annoyed. Ethan takes a second to hurriedly apologize to the guy standing behind the counter, but doesn’t stop to think too much about it. He just hopes karma doesn’t bite them in the butt for this later.

_Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s got to make it to twon,_   
_Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down_

They nearly run into a car that’s parked smack in the middle of the mall (this is one of those malls that raffles off cars) and use it as a hiding spot when they hear a gruff, “_Hey_!” that sounds exactly like Principal Hicks’ voice. They crouch on the floor with their backs against the car while Hicks stands on the other side of it, trying to see over the roof of the car. He walks around to the other side, but the group is quicker and crawl all the way around to the side Hicks was originally on. The principal is about to round the car again when Rory balls up his hat and throws it over the hood of the car. As expected, it distracts Hicks long enough for them to get up and keep running in a different direction.

_Run, run Rudolph, reeling like a merry-go-round._   
_Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s got to make it to town_

Principal Hicks runs past Hot Topic, ignore the cardboard cutouts of My Chemical Romance and BTS. When he’s a safe distance away, Ethan peeks out from behind the life size Mikey Way and motions for the others to follow him. Needless to say, the cardboard cutouts are a lot worse for wear when they escape.

_Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down._   
_Run, run Rudolph, reeling like a merry-go-round_

They feel like they’ve run all over the whole damn mall by now. They’ve sprinted past so many stores. Footlocker, Pacsun, Express, Zumiez. Claires. So many stores that it becomes a blur of words and colors. They’ve run up escalators and down stairs, through the food court and the makeup section of Macy’s. They even hid amongst the mannequins in the window display at H&M. They’re more than relieved (and out of breath) when they come to a stop in front of the elevators and Hicks doesn’t seem to be on their tails anymore.

“Come on, hurry up!” Erica rapidly presses the down button for the elevators until one of them opens. They pile inside and don’t let out a breath until the door closes and the elevator is moving downwards.

“You guys think we lost him?” Rory breaths, chest heaving.

Benny nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I think we’re good.” He huffs out a breath. “_Man_, that was a lot of running.”

“Do me a favor? Remind me to start working out regularly.” Ethan clutches at a stitch in his side.

“Ditto.” The elevator dings and opens up on the next floor.

And just like that their luck runs right out because standing on the other side of the elevator doors is one red faced Principal Hicks.

They all gasp and back up into a corner. Somebody shrieks (probably Rory). Principal Hicks gives them a satisfied smile as he steps into the elevator, doors closing behind him. They wear equally terrified expressions, and Ethan clutches Benny’s hand for dear life (he doesn’t care who sees right now. That’s the least of his worries). He desperately looks around the elevator for something, _anything_ that could help them escape their impending doom. But they’re too late. They’ve lost. Principal Hicks has caught them red handed and backed them right into a corner. Literally.

“Well, well, well.” Principal Hicks finally speaks, his satisfied expression mixing with a mildly disappointed look. “What do we have here.”

“Principal Hicks!” Benny nervously laughs. “Hey! It is great to see you all the way out here an hour away from Whitechapel. W-what might I ask brings you here on this fine winter’s day?”

“I thought I would get some last minute shopping done on my one day off. Which neither of you seem to have.” The four of them gulp at Principal Hicks’ serious expression. “So, I think it is in my right to ask what brings all of you here on this fine _school_ day.”

“Uhh, i-it’s a school day?” Rory feigns surprise. “What? I could have sworn we were having a long weekend or something. D-did you hear that guys? Today is actually a school day! Our mistake Principal Hicks.” He puts a hand on the taller man’s shoulder. “Mix ups like this happen to the best of us.”

“Mr. Keaner, I spent an unfortunate amount of time chasing you and your friends around a crowded mall. I suggest you remove your hand from my shoulder this instant.” The Principal warns. Rory flinches his hand away, holding it close to his chest. “Now, I’d like to discuss with you four how utterly disappointed I am in you. Skipping school? When you’re all fully aware of the consequences? And when Christmas break starts tomorrow at that?

“And I am especially disappointed you two Mr. Morgan and Mr. Weir.” He turns his attention directly on Ethan and Benny who bow their head. “You’re two of my best juniors. In fact, you’re two of my best students to ever attend Whitechapel High. For you to taint your records so badly by cutting school is just absurd. Why you’d do such a thing, I have no idea. But unfortunately I’ll have to call in to report the four of you for this.”

Ethan sighs. He doesn’t have it in him to fight his way out of this. He knew what the risk of skipping would be, and knew how badly they could get in trouble if caught. It’s why he had his doubts in the first place. He should have never put his friends in a position like this where they could get in serious trouble. “Principal Hicks, this is my fault. A really rare gift I got for one of my friends was accidentally thrown in the garbage, and this mall was the only place selling it, but they’d only hold it for us until 3:00. I should have never put Benny, Erica, or Rory at risk like that. If you’re going to punish anyone, punish me and not them.”

“No Ethan, this is my fault too.” Rory says guiltily. “I’m the one that lost the charm in the first place and got it thrown out. I wasn’t thinking properly, which I never really do anyway. But it’s still no excuse. So, I’m sorry bro. Had I not lost the charm, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“And, had I not taken it out of the box in the first place,” Erica adds, “we could have saved a lot of time and energy. This is just as much my fault too, and I’m sorry. And if you’re going down, I’m going down with you.”

Ethan can’t help but smile. He’s reminded of yesterday in his room, when they all vowed to cut school in order to come all the way here to find the charm. He’s also remined of earlier in the month when they willingly agreed to help him find another one. He’s remined of how much his friends actually care for him, and the lengths they’re willing to go for him. He’s not sure how much he can comprehend them risking suspension for his expense, but he guesses he’s got to be somewhat important if they’re okay with that.

“Thanks guys.” He wants to hug them, but they’re all squished together in a corner, and Principal Hicks is awkwardly moving from side to side and Ethan figures it’d be a good idea to save the affection for later.

“That was sweet and all,” the principal clears his throat, “but it doesn’t change the fact that I will be calling the school to let them know about what’s happened today.”

“Principal Hicks you really don’t need to do that.” Benny pleads, wrestling his hand out of Ethan’s tight grip. Ethan let’s go in confusion but doesn’t say anything. “Please, just let us off the hook this one time, maybe on a first offense type of deal. For the Christmas season.”

The principal shakes his head. “I can not do that Mr. Weir. It’d be against my teachers code, and my moral code to let something like this slide. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to suffer the consequences of your actions like everyone else.”

Benny sighs. “Yeah well, I’m sorry too.” And with that he presses the red Stop button that causes the elevator to jolt to a stop, jostling everyone in it. Ethan, Rory, and Erica give Benny very quizzical looks, but he keeps his focus on Principal Hicks, his expression neutral.

The principal splutters before speaking. “Benjamin Weir! What is the meaning of this? Turn the elevator back on this instant or I’ll have to consider options more serious than suspension.”

“Sorry Principal Hicks, but you’ve left me no choice.” Benny clears his throat before focusing all his energy on the principal. He concentrates, feels the magic bubbling in his chest before finally speaking. “_Obliviate_.”

Instantly Principal Hicks’ head lulls slightly, eyes glassing over and mouth falling slightly agape. He hears a gasp and someone curses, but he doesn’t let that break his focus. If he wants this to go right, he has to keep his energy directed on the principal. Otherwise he’ll end up doing more damage than good.

“_Benny_!” Ethan croaks, eyes wide in disbelief. “What the—”

But Benny tunes the rest of it out, promising himself to explain everything later. “_When you leave this elevator, you will forget you saw us here at Yorkville Village. You will go about the rest of your day as though you never saw us, and you will continue your Christmas shopping as you intended. Do you understand?_”

Principal Hicks nods in a trancelike fashion. Benny waits a couple of seconds to be sure that the spell completely settled itself in the principals mind. Once he’s sure, he presses the button for the second floor and the elevator opens. Principal Hicks slowly turns around and walks out of the elevator, making his way into the shopping crowd.

“Did,” Rory starts, “did he just—”

“I think he did.” Ethan’s shocked expression hasn’t changed from the moment Benny cast the spell on the principal. “Why didn’t you just do that before? It would have saved us a lot of running.”

“I didn’t think of it before.” Benny peaks out from the elevator, eyes following Hicks as he makes his way in the crowd. “And I also didn’t think it would work.” He watches as Principal Hicks abruptly stops in his tracks, and Benny can sense that the trance effects of the spell have worn off and Hicks is back to his normal state of mind. “Matter of fact, I’m still not too sure if it worked. We should probably get out of here right now.” He rapidly presses the button to take them to the parking lot and the door closes just as Hicks was beginning to turn around.

They make it back to the car a few minutes later, completely collapsing into the seats with exhaustion. Their limbs feel like noodles, and their feet ache from the excess running they did. It takes a lot of effort for them to not fall asleep right where they are, though the thought is appealing. Eventually, Erica starts the car drives out of the parking lot.

The car ride is relatively quiet as she drives, with a random comment or remark being made every so often. Overall the day has been rather eventful, one for the books even. But it’s safe to say that none of them will be attempting anything like that any time soon. One time skipping school and running around a mall is thrilling enough. Now, they’re just happy to relax, start the Christmas Break, and enjoy a comfortable, calming ride home.

Until Rory gets a hold of the AUX.

* * *

When Christmas day comes, Ethan and Jane wake up bright and early and barge into their parents’ room like they used to when they were kids, jumping around and exclaiming, “It’s Christmas!” until their parents finally decide to get up. The siblings race each other to the Christmas tree, Ethan sliding down the banister of the stairs and skidding to a halt in front of the tree in sock clad feet. Jane comes up next to him shortly, pouting for losing their little race _again_. But she’s not upset for long because it’s Christmas morning! Nothing can possibly make them upset on this joyous day.

Ethan and Jane tear through each of their presents like little kids, getting overly excited about everything given to them. Jane’s particularly excited by the Vans she gets, and screams bloody murder when she receives the MacBook Air she wanted. Ethan is ecstatic when he opens an Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods. By the time they’re done, the living room is covered with wrapping paper and gift bags, and the family is huddled on the couch drinking hot chocolate and eating freshly made waffles and sugar cookies.

It’s traditions like this that warms Ethan’s heart during the holiday season. Not the shopping, or the commercialized way Christmas is portrayed nowadays, but the way he can spend time with his family and be with them in a way he doesn’t get to anymore now that he’s older. Christmas is the one time of the year when he can sit back and really be around his parents and sister and live out traditions he’s had since he was a kid and has yet to grow out of. And that’s what makes Christmas worth it for him.

Ethan helps to clean up the living room and puts the presents he received away before Benny, Sarah, Erica, and Rory arrive later in the afternoon to do their own gift exchange with each other as their tradition holds (and yes, it counts as a tradition if they’ve only been doing this for two years).

Benny’s the first to give his presents out, eagerly bouncing in his seat. “Okay, on the count of three, I want you all to open your gifts at the same time. Ready? One, two, _three_!”

Rory basically rips his present open with his teeth and jumps up. “Alright!” He holds out a Lightsaber, the end of it popping out and glowing purple. He recklessly swings it around and pretends to be a Storm Trooper fighting off his evilest enemy. “_I am one with the Force and the Force is with me_.”

“Be careful with that.” Benny warns when Rory swings the Lightsaber too close to his head. “It’s an authentic collectible. Not just a child’s plaything.” Rory reluctantly puts the Lightsaber back in the box, but still looks happy as a pig in mud.

Rory gives out his gifts next, promising that this time nobody got a coupon to any restaurant. All gifts where thought out properly before purchasing. Ethan grins at the Adidas hoodie he pulls out of a gift bag, his hand brushing over the holographic logo. And more importantly, Sarah is not at all disappointed with the gift card Rory gives her.

“Smart choice Rory.” Sarah nods approvingly. “And miles ahead of last years’ coupon. By the way, my dad really appreciated it.”

There’s definitely a compliment in there somewhere.

Ethan’s the last to give out his gifts. Everyone is on edge as he hands out wrapped presents and gift bags, giving Sarah her gift last. Benny, Rory, and Erica are visibly on edge as Sarah is the first to open her gift, taking out the tissue paper in the gift bag. She finally pulls out the Pandora box and gasps. “It isn’t!” She opens the box, revealing the charm sitting nicely in a clean white bedding. She squeals with excitement, leaning over to give Ethan a bone crushing hug. “Oh my gosh Ethan! I can’t believe it! I’ve wanted this charm for years but it’s always sold out! How did you get it?”

Ethan coughs nervously. “It wasn’t easy, I can tell you that.”

“You’re literally the best Ethan! Thank you so much. This is one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received.” She plants a kiss on his cheek before finally releasing him. Ethan moves away awkwardly, trying his best to keep his blushing to a minimum. He ignores how Rory nudges his side and raises his eyebrows, deciding to step on the vampires foot instead. Rory doesn’t hide his yelp very well, but nobody brings attention to it. Everyone is mostly happy at how excited Sarah is over finally getting the Family heritage charm. It makes cutting school and almost getting suspended worth it to see her smile like a kid after getting a puppy.

Eventually, after the presents have been unwrapped and they group hang out for a bit, Erica, Rory, and Sarah leave to spend time with their respective families. Once they’re gone, Ethan leads Benny to his room so his parents can get access to the living room again, and so they can get some privacy. The minute they’re behind closed doors, Benny is pulling Ethan into a kiss that knocks the breath out of him. Ethan wraps himself into Benny as they stand in his room, but eventually they’re forced to pull apart for air. Ethan gazes into Benny green orbs, soft smile on his lips.

“You’ve been waiting to do that all day, haven’t you?” Ethan mutters.

Benny smirks. “Of course. Been wanting to do that since I walked in the door.” Benny kisses him again before the two peel apart.

“Thanks again for the new games.” Ethan walks over to a shelf and adds the four new videos games to his collection. “I almost bought them for myself but figured I should wait till after the holidays in case someone decided to gift it to me. Seems like I made the right choice, huh?” He turns to face Benny, who’s standing in a corner holding something behind his back. He doesn’t move, nor does he reply to what Ethan said which he finds odd. “Are you okay over there?”

Benny shuffles his feet and nervously chews on his lip. “A-actually,” his voice cracks and he clears his throat, “actually, that’s not the only gift I have for you.” He moves the object he’s holding from behind his back, revealing something rectangular wrapped in blue iridescent wrapping paper.

His heart is beating rapidly as Ethan takes the gift. “Aww, babe you didn’t have to get me more than one thing.” Ethan sits on his bed.

“The games were kind of a decoy present.” Benny sits next to Ethan. “Something generic so the others didn’t get suspicious or anything. This one is the real thing though.”

Ethan smiles fondly at Benny. He takes his time unwrapping the gift, tearing at the tape rather than ripping it open. Benny’s not sure if he’s just extremely nervous or if Ethan is moving slower than usual. Maybe it’s a little bit of both actually.

Finally, Ethan tears away the wrapping paper, revealing a medium sized canvas with a hand painted portrait on it. Ethan’s eyes nearly bug out of his head at the revelation. The portrait is of him, except not really. It looks about twenty times better than what Ethan looks like in real life. His facial structures are painted and carved out at an angle that makes it look like he’s looking up at the sky. Benny’s managed to make the browns of his eyes look like chocolate and gold swirling together, and somehow gave off the appearance that he’s looking into the sun. The background of the portrait is yellow and orange and red blue dancing around each other in a way that further accentuates Ethan’s features in the painting. Finally, Benny has added a glossy varnish to preserve the painting for as long as Ethan is willing to keep it. His signature is also in the corner of the painting so nobody can mistake it as being created by anyone else but Benny.

“You can tell me if you don’t really like it.” Benny rambles the longer Ethan stares at the painting without speaking. “I, uhh, I tried my best to portray how I feel about you and how I see you in my eyes with a paint brush and paint. Honestly I feel like it could be a lot better, and it didn’t at all come out how I wanted it. And If you want me to do another one that looks betters I’d be happy to and—_hmph_”

The rest of his words are muffled when Ethan kisses him. Benny instantly relaxes into the kiss, momentarily forgetting why he was so nervous and anxious. When Ethan pulls away, he’s giving Benny a sweet smile while holding the painting close to his chest. “I love it Benny. Honestly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself look this good before. Not even in pictures.” He examines the portrait again, mentally clearing a spot on his wall where the picture will be going. “It’s beautiful baby. You did a great job. Thank you.” Ethan leans forward to kiss Benny again. He doesn’t think anyone has gotten him anything this thoughtful except for maybe his parents. Knowing how much effort Benny must have put into hand painting something for him really makes Ethan’s heart leap out of his chest. He’s feeling something he can’t quite put a name to at the moment, something deep within his core. _Strange_…

He brushes that feeling to the side as he reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a neatly wrapped box. “I also got you something else.” He hands Benny the box and wipes his hands on his pants. He’s positive they weren’t this sweaty before.

Benny chuckles. “So, the elder wand was a decoy gift too, huh?” Ethan nods. “I guess great minds thing alike.” Benny pulls apart the wrapping paper until he reveals a red jewelry box. He opens the lid and takes out a gold dog tag necklace, holding it up so the light reflects on it. On one side of the tag the letters **B + E** is engraved with a heart next to it. Underneath the letters is a date in roman numerals. Benny recognizes it as the day they decided to start dating. He feels his eyes beginning to water. “Ethan, I—” His throat clogs up and he can’t get anything else out.

He flips the tag to the other side. Another set of letters is engraved on that side as well. **A MILLION MEANS FOREVER**. Benny turns to Ethan with a questioning look.

“Right. That.” Ethan stutters. “Well, I don’t know if you remember, and you probably don’t which is fine, but a while back I mentioned something about spending a million Saturdays with you. And you asked me if I planned on staying with you for that long. And my answer is yes. I do plan on staying with you for that long. And a million more Saturdays after that. I just—” he pauses to take Benny’s hand. “I want forever with you Benny. The way I feel about you isn’t how I’ve ever felt about anyone before, and I want to keep feeling this way. For a million years. For_ever_. For a million _forevers_. It all means the same to me. So, yeah. I plan on sticking around for more than just a million Saturdays. I plan on sticking around forever, that is if you’ll have me.”

Ethan gets the pull deep in his gut again. It consumes him as he give Benny his speech, and although it helped him get the words out he still feels like there’s something else he needs to tell Benny. Something that will really solidify his feelings, and really show Benny how much he means to him. Whatever it is, he can’t yet decipher it as he focuses on Benny’s reaction. His boyfriend flips the gold tag over and over, letting his fingers graze over the metal. Ethan waits for a response but sighs when he doesn’t get one.

“Too cheesy, huh?” Ethan’s heart sinks.

Benny shakes his head. “No. Not cheesy at all.” He uses his thumb to flick away a stray tear before facing Ethan. “This… this means a lot Ethan. Nobody’s every given me something that means so much before. I… I don’t even know what to say honestly.” He chuckles, sniffling a little bit. “Thank you baby. This means more than you’ll ever know.” He places the dog tag back in the box before cupping Ethan’s cheeks and kissing him deeply, hoping his lips will get across what his words can’t. He too has the same feeling within his core that stirs his stomach and electrifies his nerves. Unlike Ethan, he knows what to call this feeling.

They eventually pull apart, leaning their foreheads together as the euphoria of the kiss lingers in the air. Ethan uses his thumbs to wipe away the tears that managed to escape Benny’s eyes, and Benny takes Ethan’s hand and brings it to his lips. “Merry Christmas Ethan.”

Ethan smiles, snaking his arms around Benny’s middle and resting his head on Benny’s firm chest. He closes his eyes and exhales as Benny wraps his arms around Ethan’s smaller frame. “Merry Christmas Benny.”

They stay wrapped up in each other as snow falls outside Ethan’s window. But even the strongest of blizzards couldn’t tear them away from each other.

They stay wrapped up in each other for a million forevers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the grand total of words in this story is 12,101. Remember when I split this story in two parts so I could avoid it being over 12,000 words? Guess the joke's on me right? *slowly puts on clown mask*
> 
> Anyway, this was a lot of fun to write. It came out almost exactly how I imagined which is great because nothing I write ever comes out how I picture it in my head. I hope you guys enjoyed this. I'll see you all soon.
> 
> -THEBLACKAGENDA


	9. Nearsighted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Hope quarantine isn't treating you guys too bad.
> 
> I hit a bit of a road block with this chapter and had to rewrite it twice because I didn't like the direction it was going. I think I'm satisfied with it now though so that's great.
> 
> Also in order for these oneshots to take place on the timeline I have set in my head, this story takes place in January, maybe a couple weeks after the Christmas story. Also this is a universe where Coronavirus is not currently effecting the entire world.

The saying about Junior year being the toughest year of high school has yet to be proven wrong. Neither Benny nor Ethan can remember the last time they were able to sit and relax for more than thirty minutes without having to worry about tests, projects, homework, essays, or extracurricular commitments. They’ve been hustling for months trying to keep their grades as high as possible while also participating in school activities while also attending to their responsibilities at home while also managing a social life while also having some quality alone time.

And it’s been a hell of a lot to handle.

The couple have no idea how they’re surviving (Ethan has been dead inside since September), but having each other to lean on when it all becomes too much helps. Benny can’t even count how many times Ethan’s talked him down from a mental break down, and Ethan would have probably burnt out by now if Benny wasn’t there during his intense all-nighters. Sometimes it feels like they’re barely keeping it together through the stress, but there’s comfort in having someone who’s going through it too and understands how you feel.

Also, it’s relieving to know that the school year is half complete.

But they still have college standardized tests…

_Anyway_, after weeks of bustling around with a shit ton of schoolwork and responsibility, Ethan and Benny finally have a Friday afternoon to themselves. They’ve finished all their assignments to date, and their next exam isn’t for another couple of weeks. Ethan and Benny can finally do nothing but relax with each other and enjoy some much needed quality time, which they both deserve.

Which is exactly what they do as they lounge lazily on Benny’s bed, legs tangled together under Benny’s thick duvet with Drax asleep at the foot of the bed. They’re both somewhere between hazily watching ‘The Greatest Showman’, which plays at a respectably low volume, and completely falling asleep. Benny’s thumb rubs small circles on Ethan’s arm while Ethan fights the urge to give into the blissful serenity of sleep on Benny’s chest. His eyes are drooping and his body is heavy against Benny’s, but ‘The Greatest Showman’ is one of his favorite movies and it’d be blasphemous to fall asleep to it.

And it doesn’t matter that he’s already seen the movie at least 75 times and knows it word for word.

“Y’know,” Benny suddenly breaks the comfortable silence just as Ethan’s about to doze off to the wonderful sound of Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman’s duet. Ethan’s eyes snap open and he tilts his head up to look at Benny, “I think Zac Efron was my… _awakening_.”

Ethan stifles a yawn. “Awakening?”

“My ‘I don’t think I’m straight’ awakening.” Ethan’s mouth makes an ‘oh’ shape. “I don’t know if it’s the blue eyes or the jawline, but I remember seeing him for the first time in ‘High School Musical’ and wiping drool off my chin every five minutes.”

Ethan chuckles. “Zac Efron is the default of everyone’s ‘I don’t think I’m straight’ awakening. I mean, do you see that smolder?” He glances up, not at all missing the way Benny squints to see the characters on the screen better. He’s been squinting more and more for the past few weeks. Ethan doesn’t mention it. “Mine was probably a mix between Joe Jonas and Chris Evans.”

“Chris Evans?” Benny shifts so he can see Ethan’s face. “Captain America was your queer awakening? What happened to favoring the Winter Soldier?”

“Bucky Barnes will always and forever be my favorite Marvel character.” Ethan defends. “But I saw Fantastic Four before I saw Captain America, or any MCU movie. And something about seeing a shirtless Johnny Storm made five year old me blush harder than socially acceptable.”

“To be fair you blushed a lot back then. You were incredibly pale.” Benny jokes. Ethan responds with a pout that Benny kisses. “So what you’re saying is, my competition is Joe Jonas of Camp Rock and The Jonas Brothers, and Chris Evans aka _the_ Captain America. Doesn’t make me feel bad at all.” Ethan doesn’t miss the sarcasm.

“Well technically my competition is Zac Efron. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“You’d put Zac Efron on the same pedestal as Captain fucking America?”

“You’ve seen Zac Efron’s body, right?” Ethan glances up as his boyfriend continues to squint his green eyes. “I’m actually not sure you can see anything at all.”

Benny’s eyes immediately relax as he looks down to glare at Ethan. “Fuck off. I can see perfectly fine. Just had a little something in my eyes.”

Ethan chuckles before pecking Benny’s cheek. “Right. I’ll just pretend you’re not slowly going blind.” They both leave it at that rather than going back and forth over whether Benny should see an eye doctor or not. Again. Instead they fall back into the comfortable silence, Ethan repositioning himself on Benny’s chest and Benny rubbing rhythmic circles on Ethan’s arm.

A few minutes pass by and Ethan starts to feel sleepy again when Benny’s voice wakes him up. “Do you ever think about…”

Ethan waits for Benny to continue, but when he looks up Benny has a conflicted look on his face. “Do I ever think about what?”

Benny shrugs. He plays with the drawstring of Ethan’s hoodie (which is actually Benny’s hoodie that Ethan refuses to give back) and chews on his bottom lip. Ethan sits all the way up so he and Benny are facing each other and grabs his hands. “Babe, whatever’s on your mind you can talk to me about it.”

Ethan tries to reassure Benny as best he can but getting Benny to open up and speak about what’s on his mind is all about the right place at the right time, and mostly dumb luck. Benny has a habit of closing himself off and keeping things to himself for reasons Ethan’s still not sure about. As far as he remembers, Benny’s always been like that. Even when they were just best friends, Ethan was more comfortable talking about what was bothering him and opening up than Benny ever was. And even though Benny’s been more willing to share with Ethan things he wouldn’t have back when they were friends, he still has moments where he hesitates, or doubts himself and doesn’t say the whole truth.

And Ethan’s done his best to show Benny he can be an open book with him, but he understands that it will take time for him to get to that place.

It still doesn’t stop Ethan from trying to get Benny to finish what he was saying now, which thankfully works out anyway.

“Do you ever think about what your sexual orientation might be?” Benny speaks softly, eyes fixated on his lap.

Oh.

Ethan’s taken aback by the question. They’ve been together for a good four months now, but have only had this conversation maybe once. He opens and closes his mouth a few times as he tries to come up with the right words. “Yeah, sometimes I do. Sometimes I try to figure it out because I feel like I should have it figured out by now, but I end up getting confused and overwhelmed and I just… stop, y’know?”

Benny nods. “Yeah, I know. Sometimes I feel like I have to find the right label for myself, or else society won’t accept me. Like I’m supposed to already know who exactly I’m attracted to by now, or like I’m in a rush to figure myself out…” He sighs. “And it’s stressful because it makes the thought of coming out even scarier.”

Ethan blinks. “You’ve been thinking of coming out?”

“I’ve been thinking of how much I don’t want to. The moment I come out, I’ll only be known as the tall annoying queer kid that talks too much. Nobody will even acknowledge anything else about me because they’ll only be focused on the fact that I’m not straight. And the fact that I can’t even identify myself makes it worse because not only am I the tall annoying queer kid, I’m the confused queer kid. And then I’ll feel pressured and rushed to label myself so people won’t have to ask me things like ‘so what exactly are you’, and I just…” Benny trails off, head dropping into his hands.

Ethan’s at a loss for words. The idea of coming out and labeling himself stresses him out sometimes too. He’s spent countless nights staring at his ceiling trying to understand what he should identify as and what exactly he’s attracted to, but he either gets so overwhelmed he starts to panic and hyperventilate, or he draws a clear blank. He’s never thought of it the way Benny’s describing it though. He’s always thought coming out was supposed to be a liberating feeling, like you’re finally allowed to be yourself without anything holding you back.

Ethan gently tilts Benny’s chin up so he can look at him again. “Baby you wouldn’t be only known for being queer. You have so many other great attributes people know you for. You’re incredibly smart, funny, caring, artistic…”

Benny scoffs. “Yeah, sure. All things that will be forgotten once people know I’m not a straight male. It’s just, why can’t we stay like this forever, y’know? You and me, having this thing that nobody else knows about, and that nobody needs to know about. Why can’t we just have this without having to worry about labels and orientations and other peoples opinions and things like that?”

Something funny happens in the pit of Ethan’s stomach but he ignores it. “So, you want our relationship to be a secret forever?”

Benny shrugs. “I guess that sounds pretty bad, huh?” Ethan gives him a very pointed like. “I don’t know E. I just don’t want to feel pressured into finding a label and having to live up to that label everyday of my life.”

“I get it.” Ethan says softly, using his thumb to rub the backs of Benny’s hands. “I don’t want to be rushed into anything before I’m ready either. But I try to look at it as the only person rushing me is, well, me. Nobody else knows I’m attracted to boys. And I know for a fact that I really like you. So at the moment the label doesn’t really matter. What matters is I’m happy like this. _We_ are happy like this. And we don’t owe anyone an explanation any time soon.”

Ethan watches Benny intently, making sure he’s hearing every word and understanding it. Benny ponders for a bit and Ethan lets him, hoping what he said made some type of sense to Benny. The taller boy eventually nods. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. I’m putting more pressure on myself than I really need to.” His hand goes up to Ethan’s cheek. “You have a way with words, did you know that?”

“You’ve said it at least once before.” Ethan smirks as Benny leans forward. Their kiss is sweet and gentle. Ethan completely melts into it, forgetting their conversation, and ‘The Greatest Showman’, and Benny’s deteriorating eyesight.

When Benny finally pulls away, he gathers Ethan back into his arms so the shorter boy can lay on his chest again. “You should get some rest. You’ve gotten a total of six hours of sleep since Tuesday, and have been abusing 5 Hour Energy on a very dangerous level.”

Ethan has to stifle a yawn (as if on cue) before answering. “If I remember clearly you were using your sandwich as a pillow during lunch today so you’re one to talk. Plus, I’m not that sleep deprived. Just a little exhausted, that’s all.”

“Ethan sweetheart, you fell asleep inside of your locker and threatened to stab Char with a fork because she asked if you were feeling okay.”

Ethan splutters. “Well— I see absolutely nothing wrong with that reaction.”

“Yeah, well it was scary. You looked like a cross between a serial killer and a zombie.”

“I find it odd you would know what that looks like.”

“It’s actually not that hard. Just picture Michael Myers as a character from The Walking Dead.”

“That’s not an image I really wanted to have in my head, but thanks for giving it to me anyway.”

“No problem babe.” Benny kisses Ethan’s forehead as he yawns again. “Now get some sleep. You’re exhausted, and you feel like deadweight laying on me like this. Your body is telling you to go to sleep.”

Ethan pouts, fighting to keep his eyelids from opening. “But I want to finish ‘The Greatest Showman’.”

“We can always watch ‘The Greatest Showman’ another day. Besides, how many times have you seen this movie?”

“Too many times to count.”

“Exactly. I promise you won’t be missing anything significant this time around.”

Ethan snuggles into Benny’s chest, finally letting his heavy eyes fall shut. “Fine, but only if you get some sleep too. I’m not the only sleep deprived one here.”

The last thing he remembers before letting sleep overcome him is the chaste kiss Benny plants on his forehead. “Deal.”

* * *

Somethings not right.

Benny’s been staring at the eye exam chart at the DMV for ten minutes now. He’s squinted at it, covered each eye, rubbed them, and even tilted his head upside down. But no matter what he does, the letters on chart all look the same to him.

Blurry. They all look blurry.

Benny slumps in the colorful chair of the waiting area after a few more minutes of unsuccessfully squinting at the chart. He wants to believe that the eye exam chart has some type of fault to it, making it appear blurry to everyone. He wants to believe that he’s not the only one having issues reading the chart, or that it’s only there to demonstrate what driving drunk looks like. He wants to believe that although his seat is rather close to the pillar the chart is posted on, he’s probably too far from the poster to really see what it says.

He also wants to believe that it’s only a coincidence that the other posters and charts posted around the DMV are also blurry, and that it’s completely normal for certain people to appear fuzzy based on how far they are from him. Even though that pretty much applies to everyone in the DMV…

Okay. Benny will admit it. He needs glasses.

“If you keep squinting like that you’ll get sores in your eyes.”

Benny’s eyes widen abruptly as he turns to his right. “I wasn’t squinting. My eyeballs were just itchy, and I thought I could scratch them with my eyelids.”

Grandma Weir pats Benny’s knee. “Your denial about needing glasses is hurting nobody but yourself dear.”

Benny scoffs. “My eyesight is not that bad Grandma.” No, it’s worse than she even knows. Benny can’t see jack shit! He’s not even being dramatic about it either. He literally can’t see anything further that 10 feet away from him. He’d probably still be stubbornly unconcerned if he were able to at least make out the faces of most of the patrons in the DMV. But he can’t even do that without giving himself a headache.

He can’t believe he hasn’t noticed how bad it’s gotten until now. Benny thought he’d survive in the haziness that is his vision, only deeming it as a slight inconvenience. It’s only ever been a slight inconvenience since he’s only had trouble focusing on smartboards and television screens. And okay, maybe sometimes it’s hard to tell who people are until they get really close to him. And maybe he’s had some trouble reading street signs and posters in school for a while. And maybe he hasn’t been to the eye doctor since freshman year.

Okay so maybe his eyesight’s been a bit on the severe side for a while now. And maybe he’s been in denial the whole time.

“Alright, everything is set.” Ethan (Benny assumes it’s Ethan. He can’t see he’s boyfriend until he’s right in front of him) walks over to Benny and his grandma. “My drivers test is in a month, same day as yours Benny. Gives us plenty of time to practice so we can pass on the first try. I can’t wait to be able to drive myself and not depend on Sarah and Erica to chauffer me everywhere.”

Benny and Grandma Weir stand up, and the trio exit the DMV into the parking lot. Benny focuses on his feet so he won’t have to think about how he can’t see anything. “I don’t know E, free rides everywhere still sounds pretty neat. It’s like uber but without having to pay for it.”

“Uber’s don’t usually force you to go to the nail salon in exchange for a ride to the doctor’s office.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Grandma Weir parked relatively close to the entrance of the DMV. Benny takes shotgun while Ethan get’s comfortable in the backseat, taking advantage of having it all to himself. “I’m looking forward to finally getting behind the wheel of this bad boy right here.” Benny runs his hands over the dashboard of his grandmothers Audi. “It’s been a lone dream of mine for three years.”

“And it will have to stay a dream because you’re not taking your drivers test until you visit the eye doctor.” Grandma starts the car and puts the gears into park without missing a beat.

Insert Windows XP Error sound here please.

Benny looks at his grandmother wide eyed. “What? Grandma are you serious?”

“Do I ever joke about anything dear?”

“But grandma!’ Benny whines. “You and dad promised that as long as I kept my grades up, never stayed out past curfew, and didn’t blow up the basement again I could get my license. I’ve followed every rule to a T. And our scheduled test is the only available test until May, and I really want to get my license before my birthday.”

“Don’t you worry, your father and I plan on keeping our promise to you. You’ve worked hard this year and have earned this privilege. But if you think I’m going to allow you to get behind the wheel of a moving vehicle when you have the eyesight of an 80 year old—” Ethan snorts and Benny shoots daggers at him “—then you’ve got another thing coming.”

“I already told you, my eyesight is fine.” Benny lies.

“Your eyesight is pretty shit Benny.” Ethan smirks, missing the way Grandma’s eyes roll at his language.

Benny turns in his seat. “Dude, who’s side are you on?”

“I’ve already called your father about it.” Grandma continues. “He agrees that unless you get your eyes checked out you shouldn’t be driving.”

“When did you talk to dad? Japan is like twelves hours ahead of us.”

“When we get home I’m going to make an appointment for you, hopefully for some time this week.” Grandma glances over at Benny’s pout. “Oh don’t give me that look Benjamin. You and I both know it’s not safe and would be very irresponsible to have you drive a car when you can’t properly see. With great power comes great responsibility, right?”

“That’s the last time I let you watch a Marvel movie.” Benny mumbles as he slumps in his seat.

“Oh don’t worry _Benjamin_.” Ethan snickers leaning forward. “The worst thing that can happen is you’ll get glasses. Well no, the worst thing that could happen is an earthquake causes the ceiling of the doctors office to fall on your head.”

“Yeah, call me Benjamin one more time and I’ll show you the worst thing that can happen.” Benny growls over his shoulder to which Ethan continues to snicker.

* * *

True to her word, Grandma’s on the phone with the ophthalmologist the minute they get home that day. She makes an appointment for the following Monday, giving Benny absolutely no time to prepare himself for the inevitable.

His inevitable doom that is.

“Benny you will be fine. The doctor is just gonna ask you what you can and can’t see, and do some tests to determine what prescription works best for you. It’s not that bad I promise.” Ethan tries to calm Benny down as they sit in the waiting room of the ophthalmologist office five minutes before the exam. He’s been trying to get Benny to calm down all day during school, and the previous day as well, but the taller boy has been nervous and high strung since he woke up this morning. Ethan has no idea why his boyfriend has such an irrational fear of the eye doctor. When he’s asked about it, Benny just says they creep him out and doesn’t elaborate. But whatever it is, Ethan sure it shouldn’t be affecting Benny this much.

“Yeah, it’s not so bad until they try to probe your eyeballs out using instruments of torture.” Benny, who’s leg has been shaking since he sat down, leans closer to Ethan while pointing at the window on the opposite wall. “You think we can sneak out through that window over there when nobody’s looking?’

Ethan shakes his head. “Benny, no. I promised your grandma I would make sure you saw the doctor and took this eye exam today, and frankly I agree with her. You can’t keep walking around half blind and not do anything about it. You’ll just mess up your eyesight even worse than it already is. And your eyeballs are not getting probed out by any instruments. What the hell do you think they do here?”

“I don’t know what type of messed up, blood sacrificing witchcraft goes on here, but I don’t want any part of it. Doesn’t matter if I’m a wizard or not, doesn’t mean I should be the object of some weird ritual. Eye doctors are bad news I tell you. Bad news.”

“You sound ridiculous.” Ethan shakes his head. “You don’t have anything to be afraid of Benny. The eye doctor is probably the least traumatic doctor you could ever visit. Plus I’ll be there with you the whole time, and I’ll even hold your hand when you get freaked out.”

Benny’s blush is hard to hide. “Wouldn’t that be a little weird to do? Holding my hand in front of other people?”

“I don’t think it would be weird. It’s normal to hold someone’s hand when they’re scared, whether they’re dating or not.”

Benny rubs his sweaty palms on his pant legs. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“But I’ll only do it if you’re comfortable with it. If not, then that’s okay too.”

Benny’s leg finally stops shaking as he turns to look at Ethan. He’s overcome with the urge to lean over and kiss him just like how they do in private. And a thought pops up in Benny’s head: what if he does? What if he decides to screw it, screw everyone’s opinions and judgements, and just lives his life out and free and without fear of being who he is? It would be worth it if he’d get to have Ethan how he wants whenever he wants wouldn’t it? And wouldn’t it be nice to be able to show Ethan how he feels about him all the time?

Like straight couples do?

Benny only gets five seconds to ponder this before a doctor appears from behind a set of double doors. “Benny Weir?”

Benny’s heart drops and face pales. He’s shaking all over again, this time his entire body and not just his leg. He doesn’t say anything for a second too long because Ethan is suddenly nudging him and motioning for him to get up and follow the doctor. Benny does so in a haze (both figuratively and literally), following the doctor through a few sets of doors before entering the exam room. Benny braces himself, preparing for whatever tools and instruments meet him on the other side…

…and okay it’s not so bad in here.

There’s a bunch of charts and posters surrounding the walls (now that Benny can clearly point out), along with various machines Benny remembers being a lot scarier two years ago. He looks to Ethan who gives him a smile of encouragement before entering the room.

“Have a seat Benny.” The doctor gestures to the exam chair in the middle of the room. Benny lowers himself in it, sitting on the edge rather than leaning back and getting comfortable. “My name is Dr. Driscoll, and I’ll be your doctor for today. My records show you haven’t had an exam in quite some time.”

Benny’s voice cracks when he opens his mouth and he clear’s it quickly. “Y-yeah, it’s been a while.”

“Guess that means we have much to catch up on.” The doctors smile is warm, and not at all menacing like Benny was anticipating. “Tell me, are you having any visual problems or significant issues?”

“Um,” Benny glances at Ethan who gives him an encouraging nod, “yeah. I’ve had some trouble seeing things that aren’t really close to me. Things get really blurry and hazy and stuff…”

The doctor takes notes in a manilla folder Benny assumes has his medical records. “How long have you been experiencing this issue?”

“I guess the first time I remember having a problem was when the school year started. I tried to ignore it, but it recently got really bad.”

“Well, your records don’t show any previews issues, and your past eye exams have been good. Does anyone in your family wear glasses or have vision problems.”

Benny shakes his head. “Not that I know of.”

“Not a problem. Vision problems can appear virtually at any time, even in those who don’t have a family history of issues. Not to worry. Any trouble you might be having should be resolved today once we finish with the exam, which won’t take very long.”

Benny nods, his nervous settling the more he talks to the doctor. So far, the experience isn’t as bad as he remembered it being. The doctor is nice, the exam chair isn’t uncomfortable, and he’s not in any pain yet. So far so good.

The doctor places the manilla folder on his desk and rolls his chair in front of Benny. “Alright Benny, all you’re going to do for me is relax, keep your head steady, and follow this pen with only your eyes.” Benny cautiously sits back in the chair as the doctor pulls out a pen. Benny follows the movement with his eyes for a few moments before the doctor moves on to the next test.

The exam moves along rather quickly, quicker than Benny expected. The doctor has Benny do something called a visual acuity test, and Benny has to try reading letters off the same chart he saw at the DMV (Benny immediately let’s Dr. Driscoll know the entire chart is blurry and he can barely make out the first letter E). After this he does a refraction assessment, and the doctor pulls out a scary looking machine that makes Benny reach for Ethan’s hand immediately. He’s surprised to find out the machine doesn’t cause any pain, and the assessment isn’t at all scary. He almost feels silly for reaching for Ethan’s hand, but now Ethan’s fingers are interlocked with his and he can’t really find a reason to complain about that.

Benny has to undergo a few other tests before the doctor finally sits back and gives Benny the news he’s dreaded hearing for a while now: he’s nearsighted and needs glasses. Oddly enough, Benny isn’t completely upset at the confirmation pretty much everyone has known for a while now. He’s not necessarily happy about needing glasses, but he supposes he’s come to accept it now that he’s had the exam and understands how much he can’t see.

After the exam, Benny and Ethan are taken to a room where Benny can choose the frames for the glasses he’ll be getting. He’s almost overwhelmed by the selection before him, allowing Ethan to lead him to one of the closer sections. Benny tries on the first pair he sees, some plain brown frames, and turns to show Ethan. “How do they look?”

“Like you ran a book club in 2005.”

Benny pouts before taking the frames off and trying on a different pair.

“Orange? Really?”

Benny didn’t even realize they were orange when he picked them up.

“Alright fine.” Benny browses through the selection and picks up thick black frames with a designer logo he doesn’t recognize printed on the side. “What about these?”

Ethan studies the frames. “Ehh, reminds me of our fourth grade teacher too much. But better. We should keep looking before you decide on what you want.”

Benny nods in agreement. It goes on like this for a while. Benny tries on a pair of glasses that they both decide aren’t the right fit for him, and they move on to a different pair. Benny feels like he’s gone through the entire selection, even trying on a pair that reminds Ethan too much of Harry Potter and Arthur. Finally, after what feels like hours, Ethan finds a pair he likes and hands them to Benny. “How about these?”

Benny studies the frames before trying them on and peering at his reflection in the mirror. They’re black browline glasses with a red tint on the inner frame. They sit well on the bridge of Benny’s nose and make his face look… not weird. Which was one of his biggest fears. Benny thinks the glasses make him look a little older actually. And more sophisticated. Satisfied, he turns to Ethan to get his boyfriend’s approval.

The smile that stretches on Ethan’s face eases all of Benny’s concerns. “Now those look pretty good. I think those are the ones.” Benny couldn’t agree more.

* * *

“Everything is so clear now! I can actually see people! Even the people across the street!”

“Yeah Benny, that’s what happens when you wear glasses.”

The duo walk down the busy street after leaving the eye doctor to find the nearest bus stop. Benny points to a coffee shop that’s across the street. “You see that over there? That sign says _Halo’s Coffee_. Usually I wouldn’t be able to see it from this far away, but I can see it clear as day now. And that street sign,” Benny points to a sign that’s also an acceptable distance away, “says _Atlantic Street_. On our way here I couldn’t see it, but now I _can_! Isn’t that great?”

“That’s amazing Benny.” They make it to the bus stop just as their bus is pulling in and people are filtering out.

“I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on so much of life because I couldn’t see it.” Benny says once they’re seated on the bus. “Why didn’t I see an eye doctor sooner?”

Ethan has to fight the urge to bang his head against the bus window. “I don’t know Benny. It’s not like I’ve been begging you to get your eyes checked for months now.”

“Yeah, well, I probably should have listened to you sooner.” Benny admits, to which Ethan gives him a look that says _you think?_ “I don’t know why I was so stubborn about it. I guess a part of me didn’t want to admit that I had an irrational fear of eye doctors, and another part of me didn’t want to look stupid wearing glasses.”

“Lucky for you, you don’t look stupid with them.” Ethan says. “I actually find them pretty hot.”

Benny blinks. “Y-you, really?”

Ethan cheekily nods. He’s been secretly undressing Benny with his eyes ever since he put the glasses on, trying his best to make it not obvious. But he can’t help it. They make Benny look like if Timothée Chalamet and Tony Stark had a love child, and Ethan’s been using all of his willpower to not make out with Benny right in front of everyone.

Benny blushes madly. “Well, thanks. I guess that makes me feel more confident about wearing these at school tomorrow. At least I’ll finally be able to see words and not blurry blobs of nonsense.”

“And you can finally take your own notes and not ask to borrow everyone else’s.”

“I think you all secretly enjoy me copying your notes. You just won’t admit it.”

“Does that help you feel better about yourself?”

“Yes, yes it does?”

The bus ride home is a lot like this the entire way. The two boys keep their conversation quiet and to themselves, with Benny occasionally stopping to read a traffic sign or billboard that’s no longer blurry to him. Seeing Benny this happy about something as simple as being able to see brings a smile to Ethan’s face. He’s met with an overwhelming feeling of wanting to do anything to keep that smile there for the rest of his life, and it stuns him. But Ethan just focuses on how happy the boy in front of him is, and how much the sight warms his heart.

And it’s totally worth it when they’re behind the closed doors of Benny’s room and Ethan can _really_ show Benny how hot he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about glasses or wearing them. Just thought I should put that out there.
> 
> I tried to upload a picture of the glasses Benny got. If it didn't work here's a link https://www.firmoo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/80f266a133ca7f4718be6b7f3bcf154f.jpg
> 
> -THEBLACKAGENDA


	10. Inclined Musically

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little something I managed to write in one day.
> 
> Warning: this is a song-fic. All songs mentioned will be listed below.

Ethan let’s the warm water from the showerhead trickle through his scalp and down his spine, sighing at how the hot water feels on his tense muscles. He starts rotating his neck and shoulders while under the water to allow the pelting feeling to give him a bit of a massage. The steam rises in the closed bathroom and he can already feel his pores begin to open up. There’s really nothing like a hot shower first thing in the morning to really wake him up and get his day started.

“_Then I get,_  
_No, I can't wait to get far from here_  
_No, I can't, I can't wait to get out of here_  
_No, I can't_  
_No, I can't, no I can't_  
_Wait to get out of here_”

Ethan likes to take this time in the morning to really focus on waking himself up while also relaxing and preparing himself for the day. Plus, he gets a few minutes to relax be for the day begins to stress him out. And junior year has been tough, so he really likes to take advantage of whatever serene time he has, especially the time he gets before school. It’s probably the only serene time he’ll get for the rest of the day so might as well make the most of it.

“_I see you at the movies_  
_I see you with your lipstick on_  
_I'm looking out for cosmos_  
_I'm hoping that we get along_”

He lathers his hair with shampoo and works his fingers through his wet locks. His eyes roll back as he massages his scalp and he fights back the low moan at the back of his throat from the feeling. He actually likes the smell of this shampoo more than the one he usually uses. Maybe it’s time to switch things up a bit.

“_It's time for an ovation_  
_It's time for us to make a change_  
_It's time for a Chinese New Year_  
_It's time for me to make away_”

The banging at the bathroom door startles him right out of the serenity. “Will you shut the hell up and hurry up! If I’m late to school because of you I will brand you like cattle in your sleep!”

Ethan sighs. Singing in the shower is another thing he likes to take advantage of in the mornings since the shower head and soap make for a great audience (not to mention the acoustics in his bathroom are impeccable). And he can’t help it that song is stuck in his head after hearing it on TikTok so many times.

Ethan quickly finishes his shower before wrapping a towel around his waist and opening the door to an irritated Jane clad in pajamas, retainers, and some massive bed head. “Aren’t you a ball of sunshine today. Bathroom’s all yours.” Jane rolls her eyes and pushes past him without another word. He remembers a time when she was nice to him. It couldn’t have been that long ago he swears.

Ethan makes his way to his bedroom to finish getting ready for the day. The last thing he hears before shutting his door makes him snicker loudly.

“_You asshole, you used up all my shampoo!_”

* * *

Ethan absentmindedly taps his pen against his open textbook to the beat of the song playing through his headphones. He normally doesn’t listen to music while he studies since he’s not the best at multitasking, and the last time he did this he accidentally wrote the lyrics to _Cry Me A River_ by Justin Timberlake on his English paper. However, French is one of his best subjects (he already speaks it fluently so it’s an easy A for him anyway), and the music tends to make studying feel a lot less like a chore and more like an idle pass time.

And he loves this song anyway.

“_Stop the looting, stop the shooting_  
_Pick pocking on the corner_  
_See as the rich is getting richer_  
_The poor is getting poorer_”

It’s time’s like these when he really enjoys the private cubicles in the schools’ library. He wouldn’t be allowed to sing while studying anywhere else in the school, nor would he ever _dare_ doing something as reckless as let other people hear him sing. He’s had more than enough nightmares about him preparing to sing a well-rehearsed number, but instead coughing up frogs and slugs while being attacked by Godzilla. Yeah, that’s farfetched but it’s still a legitimate fear.

Being in this cubicle gives Ethan a chance to get away from the rush of the school day and the crowds, and gives him some time to himself, so Ethan basks in the peace of it as much as he can.

“_Se mira Maria on the corner_  
_Thinking of ways to make it better_  
_In my mailbox, there's an eviction letter_  
_Signed by the judge, said see you later_”

* * *

“Marjorie! It’s good to see you again.” Rory leans against the libraries front desk as he slides a book across the counter. He gives the librarian a sly, flirtatious smile. “Might I say, that salt and pepper hair is really making your blue eyes pop today. And is that a new neck scarf I see there?”

The librarian doesn’t respond to Rory (as she never does). She merely gives him the blandest of looks that screams _I’m dead inside_ while scanning his book and typing away at the computer. “You currently have a balance of $42.95 on your account due to late fees and disturbance of the peace.”

Rory gives her a puzzled look. “Disturbance of the peace? What peace?”

“My peace.” The librarian chucks the book into a bin behind her.

“Alright, I see your point.” Rory nods. “Is there any way you can maybe cut me some slack on the fees? My pockets aren’t exactly dripping in green if you know what I’m saying.”

“Mr. Keaner you have succeed in returning none of your previously borrowed books on time, while also managing to tear a dictionary in half and vandalizing every comic book we have on file. Your balance is $42.95 is being rather generous seeing the amount of damage you’ve done, and you will be expected to pay it off or you risk in school suspension. Am I clear?” She still has that dead inside expression as she speaks. She reminds Rory of Roz from ‘Monsters Inc.’. But in a good way.

Rory sighs as he takes the receipt she hands him. Marjorie has always been a real tough cookie to crack, but if he managed to get Nurse Glenda and Pam the lunch lady on his good side, he should have no trouble getting Marjorie the librarian to like him. He begins making his way to the back of the library to get some studying down before fourth period. He regrets not studying for his chem test the night before, but his neighbor managed to convince him to play Animal Crossing, and he’s been hooked on it for weeks now.

As Rory passes the private cubicle’s lined up behind the many rows of books, he notices a very familiar black head of hair wearing a very familiar denim jacket (okay so obviously the hair isn’t wearing the denim jacket. The person who’s hair is black is wearing the denim jacket. Hair doesn’t wear clothes. That would be too weird). Rory smiles because Ethan’s a complete whiz at chemistry. He definitely has some notes or cheat sheets he can give Rory to help him out. Plus, nobody is a better study buddy than Ethan Morgan (except maybe Erica. The way she threatens to put his tongue in a meat grinder really helps him retain information. And it’s a major turn on).

Rory opens the door to the cubicle and is about to gently startle Ethan with one of his many greetings when he stops.

“_Oh, Maria, Maria_  
_She reminds me of a west side story_  
_Growing up in Spanish Harlem_  
_She's living the life just like a movie star_  
_Oh, Maria, Maria_  
_She fell in love in East L.A_  
_To the sounds of the guitar, yeah, yeah_  
_Played by Carlos Santana_”

“Wow dude!” Ethan yelps and throws his headphones off his ears. He turns to the door, hand clutching his heart. “I didn’t know you could sing that good.”

“Rory!” Ethan pants, not paying attention to the heart attack he just got because _why is Rory here_?! “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know Maria is cheating on you with Carlos Santana.” Ethan fights the face palm. “Dude, you’ve got a great voice. You should use it more often. Imagine how many ladies you could get just by opening your mouth.”

He doesn’t have time for this. “Rory is there something you need? Because I’m not sure if you noticed or not but I was kind of in the middle of studying.” _Also you interrupted a very private moment I was having but it’s_ fine.

“Oh right. I have a chem test next period that I really can’t fail. Do you have any extra notes or study sheets I can borrow to help me out?”

Ethan rolls his eyes. “Did you play Animal Crossing all night again?”

“It’s an addictive game! I can’t help it.”

Ethan shakes his head before fishing out the study guide he used for his last chemistry test and handing it to Rory.

Once Ethan is by himself again, he let’s his head fall against the table and groans. _I guess I can’t sing in here anymore_.

* * *

“_I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to turn to_  
_This all or nothing way of loving got me sleeping without you_”

Sarah stops in her tracks as she’s passing the STEM room. The room is typically soundproof, so nobody inside or outside is disturbed by disruptive sounds, but the door to the room was left slightly open by whoever’s inside. It’s just cracked a bit, maybe three inches at most, but it’s enough to let the sound of someone singing waft into the hallway.

“_Now, I need somebody to know_  
_Somebody to heal_  
_Somebody to have_  
_Just to know how it feels_  
_It's easy to say but it's never the same_  
_I guess I kinda liked the way you helped me escape_”

Curious, Sarah cracks the door to the STEM room open enough for her to stick her head through. There’s only one person in the room sitting at one of the work benches with his back facing the door. He’s working on what Sarah presumes is one of the projects the STEM students have to complete before the end of the year, but that’s not what she’s focused on. She actually recognizes the dark jean jacket and the Herschel backpack on the floor, and the mop of raven hair sticks up just like—

_Oh my god is that Ethan_?

“_Now the day bleeds_  
_Into nightfall_  
_And you're not here_  
_To get me through it all_  
_I let my guard down_  
_And then you pulled the rug_  
_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_”

To say her jaw drops would be the understatement of the year. Sarah can’t believe she’s actually witnessing Ethan singing. Ethan Morgan! The same person who chickened out of karaoke meanwhile every tone deaf person in Whitechapel was belting Adele and Taylor Swift. Ethan, the boy who refuses to try out for any part in the schools plays and musicals that require him to sing, even if it’s just Happy Birthday. Ethan, the boy who went to a My Chemical Romance concert and didn’t open his mouth once.

Is this a dream? Is she dreaming?

“_And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes_  
_I fall into your arms_  
_I'll be safe in your sound 'til I come back around_”

Sarah tries her best not to gasp when Ethan hits that crescendo. His baritone voice flawlessly hits the notes as if he wrote the song himself, as if he’s pouring his heart and soul into the lyrics and really putting himself into the shoes of Lewis Capaldi himself. Hell, Ethan is singing it better than Lewis Capaldi. There’s a power to his voice that Sarah never knew he had; a deepness that makes her want to keep listening. That actually makes her want to cry.

She wants to start clapping and tell Ethan that he’s an amazing singer. She wants Ethan to know other people need to hear how beautiful his voice is. But something’s telling her that he’s only letting loose and singing like this because he’s alone in the STEM room, and feels more confident singing in private. Not wanting to ruin his moment, Sarah quietly closes the door, making sure it’s completely closed so nobody else can sneak in on Ethan without him knowing.

There will be other opportunities to praise Ethan for his voice. And she’s sure he’ll be ready to share it eventually.

* * *

“_The dog days are over_  
_The dog days are done_”

Ethan spins around his kitchen to the rhythm of the song playing from his phone as he busies himself with getting the required snacks he’d been craving all day ready. He pushes the pizza rolls in the microwave while pulling out the box of glazed donuts from the pantry. His mouth’s already watering for the sweetness of the junk food and he hasn’t even eaten it yet.

“_The horses are coming so you better run_”

He pours a bag of Doritos into a bowl and swiftly pulls out the Iced Tea he made the night before, pouring out two cups of tea filled with ice.

“_Run fast for your mother run fast for your father_  
_Run for your children for your sisters and brothers_  
_Leave all your love and your longing behind you_  
_Can't carry it with you if you want to survive_”

He casually dances around the kitchen, using various kitchen items as a microphone. The broom, a whisk, a turkey baster, a carrot. Nothing is safe from his hands as he slides around in sock clad feet singing the wonderful lyrics of Florence + The Machine.

“_The dog days are over_  
_The dog days are done_  
_Can't you hear the horses_  
_'Cause here they come_”

“Whatcha doing?”

Ethan drops the spatula he was using as a mic and screams. Like he actually screams. It’s high pitched and eardrum shattering, and very girly. “What the hell is with everyone and scaring me today?” He finally says once his heart stops pounding.

Benny smirks. “My bad E. Didn’t mean to scare you out of the private concert you were having. I just thought I’d come to help you out with the snacks. Seems you were doing just fine on your own though.”

Ethan scoffs as the microwave beeps, which scares him yet _again_. He’s already so sick of this day. He quickly takes the plate out of the microwave and instantly regrets it when the plate is hot and burns his fingers. “Ow! Son of a bitch!” Okay now he’s _really_ done with this day.

“You okay?”

_No, I’ve been singing nonstop today like some type of singing bug was unleashed in my brain, and people keep walking in on me scaring me shitless and it’s making my nerves a little high strung, not gonna lie_. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Just, take the donuts and the drinks into the living room please?” Ethan shoves the box of donuts in Benny’s hands and transfers the pizza rolls to a plate that doesn’t feel like the sun’s ass cheek.

“You know you’re cute when you’re frustrated.” Benny remarks, smirk never leaving his face.

Ethan grabs the bowls and plates. “I am not frustrated.” He grumbles as he walks past Benny into the living room. He fights the urge to shoot Benny a glare when the taller teen chuckles at Ethan’s expense.

Eventually, the two finally settle in the living room in front of the TV, snacks laid out for them to eat until they can’t move from a food coma. Ethan sinks into the spot next to Benny, leaning into his boyfriend side with the fire stick remote in hand. “Alright, what movie do you want to watch today? I was thinking Jumanji but I know how Robin Williams movies get you emotional and what not, so maybe we can watch the newer one with Jack Black, The Rock and Kevin Hart. It’s obviously not as good as the original but Nick Jonas is also in it so it should be at least a little entertaining—”

“Why don’t you every sing when I’m around?”

Ethan freezes, mouth shutting abruptly. He hates being asked questions like why he never likes singing around other people, especially by his friends who have been dying to hear his singing voice for God knows how long. It’s not that he doesn’t like singing because he _does_. He loves music more than a lot of things in life. And he wants to share that with others eventually. But it’s just… complicated.

“What do you mean?” Ethan mumbles, his face reddening. “I sing around you sometimes.”

“Yeah, barely.” Benny says. “Maybe you’ll mumble along to a song we’re both listening too, or you’ll sing when you’ve had alcohol. And sometimes you’ll forget I’m there and start singing whatever comes to your mind, but you stop when you realize I’m still here.”

“Benny, it’s just… you know I’m not really comfortable with people hearing me sing.”

“I know, I know.” Benny takes Ethan’s hands. “You’re scared of others hearing your voice. But I also know that you love to sing. You used to sing the soundtrack of ‘The Sound of Music’ everyday in kindergarten, remember?” Ethan gives Benny a small smile as he nods. “That little kid was fearless when it came to that. He didn’t care who was around or who heard, he just knew he loved to sing and nobody would stop him from doing it. And I remember him being really good at it too. Do you get what I’m trying to say?”

“Yeah Benny, but it’s not the same as when I was that age. When you’re a little kid you don’t get embarrassed that quickly by stuff like that, and you’re not afraid to be yourself because nobody’s made fun of you for it yet…” He trails off. Deep down he knows that Benny’s right. He shouldn’t care about who’s around when he sings, or what they think. The fact that he loves singing should be enough for him to keep doing it.

Too bad that’s not exactly how anxiety works.

Benny suddenly stands up, pulling Ethan up with him. “Babe, what are you doing?” Benny doesn’t answer as he leads Ethan to the grand piano in the living room. Benny opens the lid, pulls the bench from under the piano, and pulls Ethan down so he can sit next to him on the bench.

“Play me something.”

Ethan arches an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Play me something.” Benny simply repeats.

Ethan looks between Benny and the piano keys. “Right now?”

“Right now.”

“But what about the movie?”

“I don’t want to watch anything but you run your fingers over those piano keys.”

“Benny, are you for real right now?” Benny gives Ethan a look that says _as a heart attack_. “I haven’t even taken a piano lesson in over a year.”

“It doesn’t have to be perfect.” Benny says with a hint of encouragement in his voice. “Just play whatever you’re feeling.”

Ethan sighs, but nods. He has no idea what Benny’s getting at, but if his boyfriend wants to be serenaded with some piano notes, he guesses that’s what he’ll do. He’s pretty decent at piano anyway so it shouldn’t be hard. Ethan straightens his back, places his hands on the keys, and begins playing random chords that come to mind, mainly so his rusty fingers can get a refresher on how it feels to play the keys again. He forgot how nice it feels to sit behind a piano and play around with the different sounds he can create with just a few chords. Eventually the random chords turn into the chords to Elton Johns _Your Song_ which Ethan can play forwards _and_ backwards. Ethan gets an overwhelming urge to open his mouth and sing the lyrics so carefully written by Elton when his body runs cold again.

So _this_ was Benny’s plan this whole time.

Ethan contemplates stopping and refusing to play anything else, or changing the song he’s playing. Maybe something by Mozart that doesn’t require him to open his mouth. He knows Mozart pretty well he thinks. But something about what Benny said earlier, about that fearless kindergarten kid belting out his favorite songs without a care in the world makes Ethan want to keep playing. This just so happens to be one of his favorite songs, and if he wants to sing it he should be able to do so without fearing who might hear, right?

Besides, why is he afraid of sharing something like this with Benny anyway?

“_It's a little bit funny, this feelin' inside_”

He surprises himself more than he surprises Benny when he hears himself sing. His voice is slightly shaky, and he has to clear his throat. But he doesn’t stop as his fingers glide across the piano keys like butter.

“_I'm not one of those who can easily hide_  
_I don't have much money, but boy, if I did_  
_I'd buy a big house where we both could live_”

His entire body relaxes as he sings, making playing the piano while singing a more comfortable and fluid experience. He can’t deny the thrill he’s feeling because he’s singing to Benny,_ for_ Benny, and he hasn’t yet had a bought of anxiety or stopped out of fear. Maybe it’s not so bad to have an audience as he thought it would be.

“_If I was a sculptor, but then again, no_  
_Or a man who makes potions in a travelin' show_  
_Oh, I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do_  
_My gift is my song and this one's for you_”

He almost stops completely when Benny leans his head against his shoulder and he’s met with that same overwhelming feeling he’s been getting for a whole but can’t put a name to yet. It’s a feeling deep in his core that burns like a blue flame. It’s intense, and makes Ethan’s bones chill all over him. Ethan does his best to get this feeling out of him in the lyrics of the song and the notes of the piano.

“_And you can tell everybody this is your song_  
_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_  
_I hope you don't mind_  
_I hope you don't mind_  
_That I put down in words_  
_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_”

Ethan looks at Benny as the taller boy finally sits up, green eyes meeting brown. He tries to get his point across, tries to get Benny to understand this nameless feeling he’s feeling as they bore into each other’s eyes and as he sings the last part of the song.

“_I hope you don't mind_  
_I hope you don't mind_  
_That I put down in words_  
_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_”

Ethan plays the last chords and let’s the final sound of the piano resonant throughout the living room. He slowly turns to Benny as the realization of what he just did sinks in. “H-how was that?” He asks shyly.

Benny responds by cupping Ethan’s cheeks and leaning forward to bring their lips together. Benny kisses him slow, making Ethan’s heart pound along with the pressure of the nameless feeling. “That was perfect Ethan.” Benny says when he finally pulls away, leaving Ethan with the desire to draw their lips together again. “You have a beautiful voice. You shouldn’t ever feel like you have to hide it because when you sing, it’s like nothing else matters. It’s like I can feel you through the music without even having to touch you, or without you having to say anything. And that’s incredible.

“You have a gift babe.” Benny continues. “I’m so happy you were able to share some of it with me, even if you weren’t completely comfortable.”

Ethan smiles. “Thank you for giving me that extra push. I needed it.” He kisses Benny again, just as slow as before, before Benny wraps his arms around the smaller boy and pulls him into his chest. They sit there for a moment, still living in the euphoria the song left behind in the atmosphere. The nameless, overwhelming feeling is still burning inside of Ethan, and he doesn’t know what to do about. He does his best not to think about it and instead enjoys the moment he’s sharing with Benny, because this feels like it’s an important moment to remember.

Eventually thought, Benny speaks up. “Also we are not watching Jumanji.”

“Way to ruin a moment Benny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs in the order they appeared:
> 
> Chinese New Year by SALES  
Maria Maria by Santana  
Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi  
Dog Days Are Over by Florence + the Machine  
Your Song by Elton John
> 
> -THEBLACKAGENDA


	11. Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup...
> 
> Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who's left kudos and who have commented on this story. Seeing all the support has really given me motivation to keep writing even with quarantine being hard, and working from home taking up a lot of time. You're all really amazing for that, so thank you.

Ethan’s a theater kid. And proud of it.

Now, you might be wonder what someone with deep anxiety who’s afraid to sing in front of a sleeping baby and has the courage of a hermit crab would be doing in a club that requires it’s participants to recite lines and monologues before multiple people while sometimes singing and occasionally dancing.

Let’s rephrase that first sentence: Ethan’s a theater kid in theory.

The performing arts have always been a passion of Ethan’s ever since he was a kid. Actually, that’s an understatement. He’s been obsessed with the performing arts since he was a kid. He used to spend every afternoon after school re-watching ‘Grease’, ‘Hairspray’, and ‘Phantom of The Opera’, and has the entirety of Les Mis committed to memory. He learned every last bit of choreography in ‘West Side Story’ in second grade for the off chance he’d get the opportunity to be a _Jet_ in some sort of adaptation, and he used to force his parents to listen to _Defying Gravity_ from ‘Wicked’ every day before school because it was his power anthem (yes, he used those words). Every summer his parents take him to New York just so he can watch every (yes, _every_) Broadway and off-Broadway play that’s available, even the one’s he’s already watched multiple times (he’s seen ‘The Lion King’ thirty times. _Thirty times!_). He has a collection of playbills in a special briefcase under his bed and _refuses_ to let anyone lay a single finger on them because god forbid they ruin his precious mint condition playbills with dusty fingerprints.

Ethan’s the walking definition of theater nerd. He is obsessed with the theater.

But not enough to actually perform.

He wishes he could be confident enough to get on a stage and perform. He’d love to just get up in front of an audience and belt out _Valjean’s Soliloquy_ with his whole chest while successfully crying on command (because yes, he can do that). And he’s dreamed of having a lead role in a big production his entire life. But the thought of having an audience watching him while he stumbles on stage, forgets his lines, and sings offkey is enough to make him want to vomit.

So Ethan’s a theater kid. Theater nerd actually. And he’s part of the theater club at school. As the stage manager.

And every now and then he’s boy #5 or tree #7. But that’s it.

He didn’t always have such severe stage fright. When he was in third grade he got the role of Tin Man in his local theater’s rendition of ‘The Wizard of Oz’. And it was great! The cast and crew loved the budding star he was at the time. He was fifteen minutes early to every practice, he had his script memorized by the third rehearsal, and even made his own costume _by himself_. But the minute the kids at school caught wind of him being in a play was the minute of Ethan’s ultimate downfall.

Let’s just say getting bullied every day for something you were passionate about really makes you feel ashamed of being passionate for that thing.

Regardless, Ethan is still passionate about the theater and the performing arts, even if he’s not at all able to live it out to his fullest potential. And he still loves theater club, even if all he can do is watch others live out their dreams from afar. But theater club is probably the only club that doesn’t stress him out to the point of pulling his hair out anyway.

Except for maybe today.

“Okay, it’s simple. Walk on stage, bump into the table, drop the newspaper, walk off stage. Walk on stage, bump into the table, drop the newspaper, walk off stage.” Ethan repeats the mantra as he paces the length of the schools empty dressing room. “It’s not that hard. You’ll just be on stage for five seconds. You’ll be okay. Don’t panic.” He leans forward on one of the dressing room’s vanities as his heart continues to beat uncontrollably and his breathing continues to stagger out. None of what he’s saying or doing is helping the anxiety that seems to be getting worse and worse as the moment he’s supposed to step on stage nears.

Granted he’ll only be on stage for about five seconds. His only job is to walk across the stage, exiting stage left. And today’s show isn’t at all anything serious. Just a small play the seniors put together to raise funds for the big showcase later in spring (plus a bake sale). And he’ll most likely blend in with the background anyway (which is his job as a background character). He essentially has nothing to worry about.

So why is he finding it increasingly hard to breathe?

“Come on Ethan, pull it together.” He runs a hand through his hair, messing up whatever style the hair and makeup people did to it but not at all caring. “Don’t have a panic attack and ruin the show. Don’t have a panic attack and ruin the show. Smell the roses, blow out the candles. Smell the roses, blow out the candles.”

“I’ve never heard of that vocal warmup before.”

Ethan makes a noise that he would never admit to be a shriek. He turns to face whoever’s interrupting his attempts at not having a panic attack (as if that’s not embarrassing enough) only to find Alyssa Reynolds leaning against the doorframe, blonde hair cascading over the business attire her character is required to wear for the show.

Ethan’s breath hitches as he struggles to talk. “It’s, um, breathing exercises. So I don’t have a panic attack before I get on stage.”

Alyssa nods. “It doesn’t seem to be working too well.”

“Nope.” Ethan shakily admits. “It’s not.”

“Yeah, I figured. Breathing exercises can only do so much, and you don’t do well with them anyway. The last time you smelled the roses and blew out the candles you passed out five minutes before your debut as a fork in ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and it took seven people to revive you.”

Ethan snorts at the memory. “Yeah, and remember how Andrew Mackie had to improvise a monologue for Lumière that nobody asked for until I came to?”

“Ugh, I thought we’d never get him off the stage that day.” Alyssa rolls her eyes. “It’s like he was waiting for the chance to creepily flirt with the audience in a bad French accent while wearing spandex. I think it’s the biggest running joke we’ve ever had. The Andrew Mackie thing, not the you fainting thing.”

“Yeah. Despite me fainting and potentially scarring myself even more, that day was pretty funny.” Ethan chuckles suddenly not feeling as anxious as he was a minute ago. He doesn’t know how she manages to do it every time, but Alyssa always seems to know exactly what to say when someone is having anything from pre-show jitters to a full-blown panic attack. And she always seems to help Ethan out when his stage fright is getting the ultimate best of him. He’s grateful for her at times like this because he’s positive he’d never make it out of the dressing room if she wasn’t around to help him keep his cool every time. And she doesn’t ever judge him for it either which is great too. The last thing he needs is to be treated differently because of his anxiety.

And because of… something else.

“You feeling any better now?” She breaks him out of his thoughts as she saunters over to him.

Ethan nods. “A lot better. Thanks.”

“Thanks for what?” She adjusts the tie he’s wearing and dusts a speck from his shoulder.

“For doing that thing you do to get people to calm down before getting on stage. I don’t know how you do it, but there’s no way I would be able to get out there if it weren’t for you.”

Alyssa shrugs. “It’s no biggie. I know what it’s like to be extremely nervous before a show, so I like to ease the tension however I can. Plus I’d rather do what I can to help out other people than see the whole production go to shit because someone couldn’t keep their lunch down before the show. Which I hope you don’t suddenly feel like doing.”

Ethan shakes his head. “No, no of course not.” At least he hopes not.

“Good.” Alyssa smiles before tugging his arm. “Because you’re on in two minutes and if you’re late on stage Mrs. Wahlberg is going to have all of our heads on a stick.”

“Wait, I—” Ethan’s panicked words are cut off as she pulls him out of the dressing room and thrusts him in the stage wings. Ethan barely has a chance to process anything else before it’s his time to go on stage.

* * *

Alright so it wasn’t so bad after all.

Ethan had to push down the rising bile in his throat as the moment he had to step on stage approached. The lights gave him so much vertigo he nearly fell over (and he’d rather not faint_ twice_ in his theater club career), and he could hear his pulse beating in his ears like in _A Tell-Tale Heart_ by Edgar Allan Poe. But nonetheless, Ethan did exactly what he was supposed to do. He walked on stage, bumped into the designated table, dropped the newspaper, and walked off. All without tripping, messing up, or dying.

He might have also blacked out during the five seconds he was on stage because he can’t really remember it, but he somehow ended up on stage left like he was supposed to, and Mrs. Wahlberg doesn’t look ready to scream at him so he must have done his part exactly like he was supposed to.

If anything that’s an absolute win for him.

And the best part about it is since he’s just a background character (barely even that), he doesn’t have to go back on for the curtain call. Which means he’s able to focus on other important things now that he doesn’t have to deal with the anxiety going on stage gives him.

Like his boyfriend who patiently waits for Ethan outside of the auditorium as the cast is on stage taking their final bows. And the bake sale.

Benny, who proudly wears his new glasses, turns to Ethan when he hears footsteps approaching him and spreads his arms out wide. “There’s my Broadway superstar in the flesh.”

“Broadway superstar? All I did was walk across the stage Benny. I’m not even listed as a character in the program.” Ethan smiles.

“Sweetheart your performance as an uncredited extra was the highlight of the whole show.” Benny wraps his arms around Ethan once the shorter boy is close enough, chancing a quick peck on his lips since nobody else is in the hallway besides them. “You did awesome Ethan. I’ve never seen anyone walk anywhere as gracefully as you just did. Neil Patrick Harris and Idina Menzel are quaking as we speak. Expect a call from Steven Spielberg sometime in the near future.”

Ethan chuckles against Benny’s chest. “You’re so dramatic.”

“I’m dramatic?” Benny pulls away from Ethan to better look at him. “You’re in drama club—”

“Theater club.” Ethan corrects.

“—and somehow I’m the dramatic one?”

“You’re pretty much the biggest drama queen I know. And yes, I’m saying that as an honorary member of the _theater_ club.”

Benny pretends to ponder this. “Well, I guess you’re not wrong.” He embraces Ethan again and the two stand there for a moment, enjoying the small amount of privacy they have before the rush of people leave the auditorium to bombard the bake sale. Ethan sighs, thinking about the possibility of staying like this even when the audience files out into the hallway. But he doesn’t mention it, instead deciding to squeeze Benny a little harder before having to let go.

“I’m really proud of you by the way.” Benny suddenly breaks the silence. “I know how scary the stage is for you, but you managed to conquer your fear enough to make it on and off stage. And that is an achievement you should be proud of.”

“Thanks. And thanks for coming to the show.” Ethan whispers before pulling away. “You being here really means a lot, even if I almost didn’t make it out on stage for you to see.”

Benny cups Ethan’s cheek. “You don’t have to thank me. I’ll always come to your show’s even if you’re only role is to stand on stage for thirty seconds and leave. I’ll even come to the show’s you don’t have a role in just to support you while you do all your stage manager duties and yell at people to remember their blocking or something like that.”

Ethan chuckles. “That job can be just as stressful as being on stage sometimes. Especially since nobody ever remembers their blocking.”

“Yeah I bet that’s the worst.” The doors to the auditorium finally burst open as the audience files into the hallway. Benny’s hands are already in his jacket pocket and the two are already standing a few feet apart. Far enough for nobody to think of them as anything but platonic.

Ethan ignores how much that stings.

“Well, I gotta go help the bake sale.” Ethan finally says after a few seconds. “We left the freshman in charge of the set up, and I don’t know how well they’ll handle the crowd of people bombarding them for banana bread.”

“Go ahead. I’m going to wait for Sarah, Erica, and Rory and I’ll meet you there.”

Ethan nods, his gaze lingering on Benny’s before he turns to make his way to the bake sale area. The stinging sensation doesn’t go away, but he pushes it to the back of his mind, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to concentrate.

He can’t help, however, but wonder if Benny feels it too.

* * *

Benny has never considered himself to be the jealous type.

With that being said, Benny is _this_ *insert OK hand emoji here* close to flinging Alyssa Reynolds right out the Chemistry lab window if she doesn’t stop giving Ethan heart eyes bigger than her dumb blonde head.

Benny watches as the blonde vixen flips her curly locks and leans towards Ethan as he pours a clear chemical into a graduated cylinder. Ethan says something, and Alyssa giggles like she’s trying extremely hard to impress him, all over dramatic and flirty. Benny clenches his jaw at the scene, writing words in his lab workbook without actually looking at it. Alyssa leans closer to Ethan who’s writing something down and says something that makes him laugh before writing something in her own book. Her elbow brushes Ethan’s, and Benny wants to screech like a banshee. He has a very vivid fantasy of marching across the room, snatching Ethan away from the _tramp_ and breaking the entirety of the graduated cylinder over her head. Now _that_ would be satisfying to accomplish.

And probably socially unacceptable.

“Benny! Earth to Benny!”

The annoying snapping in his face brings Benny back to reality. He turns and looks to its source. Sarah, his own lab partner, is giving him a very unpleasant look as she gestures to the beaker, graduated cylinder, and chemicals placed in front of them. “Can you do me a huge favor and daydream when we’re not supposed to be conducting a chemistry experiment? The last time you weren’t paying attention while mixing chemicals you turned my eyebrows blue, and I will ring your neck if we get another warning in this class.” she jeers.

Benny grumbles as he grabs at the various materials on their table. “When are you gonna let that go?” He apologized countless times after the eyebrow incident, sent her a gift basket, and let her cut his hair in whatever way she wanted. Hasn’t she come to terms with that already? And it’s not like the blue eyebrows looked bad on her anyway. And it’s not like they didn’t eventually go back to normal!

Sarah shrugs. “I dunno, when are you going to stop being a doofus?”

Benny flinches. “Well _that_ was a little harsh. And hurtful.”

Sarah sighs. “Sorry, didn’t mean that. I’ve just been really stressed out with student council meetings, and swim practice and meets, and now Principal Hicks wants me to head the Yearbook committee and… life’s just been hectic, y’know?”

“You’re preaching to the choir Sare-Bear.” Benny measures the first listed chemical and expertly pours it into their shared beaker. Chemistry tends to come easily to him now since he’s spent so much time practicing potions with Grandma. Potions and chemistry are very similar if you think about it. One being more dangerous than the other though (the more dangerous one being debatable). “Junior year has been royally kicking my ass too, so I get it. Here, I’ll mix everything and get the experiment going, and you jot down the notes since your handwriting is so much better than mine.”

“Fine.” Sarah breathes. “But please be cautious with your measurements. There’s a significant difference between teaspoon and tablespoon, and too much cobalt is never a good thing.”

“Look, I mixed up the abbreviation for teaspoon and tablespoon one time!”

“And it was one time too many.”

“You’re never gonna let that go are you?”

“You turned me into a Smurf for two weeks! No, I will never get over it.” She pushes one of the chemicals into his hand. “Now get to mixing so we don’t fall behind and get in trouble. Again.”

Benny grumbles as he grabs the rest of the materials. “Jeez. ‘don’t have to be so pushy about it.”

“I will stitch your lips together and hang you from a tree like a bat.” Sarah seethes, not even looking up from her notebook as she scribbles the notes. “Don’t test me today Weir.”

_Stupid vampire hearing_. Benny mumbles a quick apology before getting started. Her threats would have phased him two years ago, but he’s come to realize Sarah tends to be more bark than bite.

Will he be testing that theory? No. But will he silently concentrate of the experiment so neither of them get in trouble? Absolutely.

Plus it would be a great distraction from the scene Ethan’s partner is making in front of him.

* * *

Alright so it’s been twenty minutes and Benny’s pretty sure the experiment turned out exactly how Mr. Smalls intended it to turn out, and in all that time Alyssa Reynolds has graduated from ogling at Ethan like a hungry animal to draping herself over him like a curtain.

And Benny has had _enough_.

They’re both laughing about something now, and Alyssa bats her long eyelashes at Ethan. Benny almost breaks the glass container he didn’t even realize he was holding. How is he expected to just sit here and watch as a pretty blonde female clambers all over his boyfriend who’s way too nice to tell her to back off?

This is exactly why he _hates_ chemistry class. Although he enjoys the subject and does well in the class, it’s the only class where he’s not allowed to sit anywhere near Ethan. More specifically, Ethan sits in the very front with the blonde devil as his partner while Benny sits closer to the back with Sarah which in theory isn’t bad since they’re friends and get along pretty well. But having to sit back and watch Alyssa flirt with Ethan (_his_ Ethan, mind you) has to be some of the worst torture he’s ever experienced.

And to make matters worse, Mr. Smalls has a strict policy on switching lab partners unless absolutely necessary. Which means Ethan is stuck with Alyssa as his partner. And Benny is stuck with anger dripping through his veins at the sight of her. And the blonde girl is enjoying the set up way more than Benny could ever appreciate.

And as if the scene before him wasn’t hard enough to witness, Alyssa leans closer to Ethan, and pink tinted lips press against his cheek, leaving behind a kiss mark if Benny’s eyes don’t deceive him (and they don’t. He’s wearing his glasses). Benny feels like snarling because how dare she? How dare she defile Ethan’s precious cheek? That’s _his_ cheek to kiss!

“Not sure what’s going on with you,” Sarah snatches the container from Benny’s hand before it can break, “but you need to chill out before you hurt yourself.”

“I am chill.” Benny seethes, glare fixated on Ethan and _that_ girl.

Sarah stares at him as he glares (which looks more like a pout). At what? She has no idea. But at least whatever it is didn’t end up interfering with the assignment this time.

No, she will never forget the blue eyebrow incident.

* * *

“…and, by adding calcium chloride to the mix,” Ethan pours the chemical into the container placed over the Bunsen burner, “it turns the solution a translucent purplish color.” He writes down the results, glancing up to make sure Alyssa’s doing the same. His locks eyes with her for a second before she begins to jot down the findings as well.

“Wow Ethan.” Alyssa finishes writing before looking up. “You’re not only a great stage manager, and basically assistant director, you’re also really good at chemistry. Who would have known you’re a man of so many talent’s.”

Ethan blushes but smiles. “Heh, thanks. I have a reputation to uphold as a nerd around here so I guess being in theater and good at chemistry help with that.”

“I’m in theater too, remember?” She says pointedly. “Being in theater would have to make me a nerd as well. But if you saw my grades you’d know I’m nowhere close to being a nerd. Not that being a nerd is a bad thing.”

“No, of course not.” Ethan shakes his head. “And your grades can’t be that bad if you’re still getting main roles. Mrs. Wahlberg is pretty strict on maintaining a certain GPA in order to participate.”

“They’re not _terrible_.” Alyssa admits, her lips pursed. “I’m passing everything and my grades are pretty average, which is good. But they could be better. Except for chemistry which for whatever reason I suck at.”

“You don’t suck at it.” Ethan tries, in an attempt to not make her feel bad. She responds by giving him a pointed look. “Chemistry’s not the easiest subject to understand. Lot’s of information to take in and things can go wrong quickly, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Plus, if you practice and study and maybe get a tutor your grades could improve significantly.”

“Hmm, get a tutor.” Alyssa ponders. “That’s actually a great idea.”

“Yeah. You could always ask Mr. Smalls if he knows anyone.” Ethan continues to write as he speaks. “He’ll probably recommend one of the seniors or student teachers to help. I had one tutor me in freshman year and it really stopped my algebra grades from suffering—”

“Or you could help me.”

Ethan stops writing and looks at her, the most perplexed expression on his face. “I… _what_?”

“Honestly Ethan, I think I would fail Chemistry if I didn’t have you as a partner.” Alyssa admits, placing a hand on his forearm. “You’re always carrying the weight for both of us in this class, which is great but really unfair. I want to get better at this, and I think you’re the only one that could really help me understand.”

“I probably wouldn’t be the best chemistry tutor. I’m better at English and language arts. If anything you’d be better off asking Benny. He’s great at chemistry and great at tutoring.” Ethan shifts uncomfortably. He only mentions Benny to make himself feel less awkward about the way Alyssa is looking at him, as if mentioning the boyfriend she doesn’t know he has is supposed to help in anyway. It’s strange though because he’s never felt the need to purposely mention Benny before, nor has he ever felt uncomfortable around Alyssa.

“I’m sure he’s great,” Alyssa dismisses, “but we’ve been working together all year. You’d better understand how to help me, and you’d probably be really patient since you’re already patient when we have labs. Plus, I was hoping you could help me with my audition for ‘The Greatest Showman’ next week.”

“Oh.” This catches Ethan by surprise. “You’re auditioning?”

She nods. “I need someone to run the lines and rehearse the song with. And none of my friends appreciate acting like us. So, what do you say?”

Ethan thinks about it. Does he want to tutor her? Not really. Alyssa is great and all, but he’d rather not attempt to explain the colorful concept of chemistry to someone who can’t tell the different between oxygen and carbon dioxide (okay he’s exaggerating a little). The only reason either one of them get decent grades on the lab and in class assignments is due to the fact that _he_ does the majority of the work while she sits back and tries to understand. Which is fine because Ethan would rather do all the work than have Alyssa try to help and do something terribly wrong. That being said, he’s not sure how he will be able to get her to understand the material when he can barely get her to understand when they’re working together.

On the other hand, Alyssa usually helps him out in theater club, whether it be with stage manager jobs or keeping his anxiety at bay. She’s always been nice to him and does try her best in class even if she doesn’t understand the material. Plus, he doesn’t think he can really turn down her offer to run lines for ‘The Greatest Showman’. He _loves_ ‘The Greatest Showman’.

And he doesn’t really think he could turn her down if he really wanted to.

Eventually Ethan nods. “Sure. I can tutor you in chemistry and also help you run lines for the audition.”

Alyssa looks relieved. “Thanks Ethan. You’re literally the best, and a lifesaver.”

“It’s no problem. We can go to my house if you want. Nobody will be home until later today, and I have a piano.”

Alyssa bites her lip as she smiles. “Honestly Ethan, the world doesn’t deserve someone like you.” She leans forward to kiss his cheek. Ethan nearly jumps at the sudden contact, his face going red from embarrassment. He can feel Benny’s green eyes staring holes into the back of his head but doesn’t turn around to look. He’s sure Benny’s been grilling the two of them during the entire class actually, but Ethan doesn’t think much of it. Alyssa’s just a friend. Benny shouldn’t have anything to get upset about.

Right?

* * *

Ethan holds up a flashcard in front of Benny. The brunet bites his lip in concentration before repeating the word on the card. “Uhh, _mettre_, right?”

“Right.” Ethan nods. “What’s does it mean?”

Benny pursues his lips as he thinks. “Mmh, to put or to place?”

Ethan nods. “Present tense conjugation?”

“Uhh,” Benny closes his eyes, “wait, don’t tell me. _Je mets_, _tu mets_, _il_ or _elle met_, _nous mettons_, _vous mettez_, _ils_ or _ells mettent_.”

“Good. Future tense?”

“Uh, can I get a hint?”

“Sure. They all start with ‘m’.”

Benny gives him an unamused look. “That doesn’t help at all.”

“I’m not going to be there to give you hints during the test.” Ethan gives him a pointed look. “You’ve been studying these verbs since last year. You should know them like the back of your hand by now.”

“You’re the one fluent in French Ethan, not me. This language is way too confusing. Like why are their so many different ways to conjugate the same verb?”

“Almost every language besides English is like that babe.” The pet name comes out without Ethan having to think twice about it. The beauty of being in the library’s private cubicles is nobody outside the cubicle can hear them, and as we all know Ethan likes to take advantage of this as much as possible.

“French is still the hardest.” Benny defends. “I don’t hear Sarah, Rory or Erica having any issues with Spanish.”

Ethan sighs. “Come on Benny. This is the last word in the deck and then you’ll be done studying for today. And I know you know the conjugations. You’re just doubting yourself.”

Benny pouts. “Alright fine. Future tense. Not hard at all.” He takes a few seconds to think about it. “Uhh,_ je mettrai_?”

Ethan nods. “Yup, that’s the first one. Keep going.”

“Okay. Um, _tu mettras_?” Benny pauses and waits for Ethan’s nod of approval. “_Il_ or _elle mettra_, _nous mettrons_, _vous mettrez_, _ils_ or _elles mettront_.”

Ethan smiles. “There you go. You see? That wasn’t so hard now was it?”

“I guess not.” Benny shrugs. “But having the best study buddy ever tends to be helpful.”

Ethan blushes as he begins to put the French flashcards away. If they were in the privacy of one of their rooms (or anywhere else) he would have rewarded Benny with a kiss for correctly translating and conjugating all the French verbs for his test. But they’re not. The doors to the cubicles are glass, and anyone can see right through it. So, he doesn’t. He pretends this doesn’t at all bother him as he puts his study material away.

Ethan and Benny share most of their classes except for a select few. They’ve purposely made their schedules as similar as possible every year despite their teachers doing everything in their power to keep them apart. It never works though since it’s been proven multiple times that they both work better together, and their grades are always higher when they’re able to help each other with assignments and studying. And sharing most of their classes means they typically share the same free period, which is usually spent in the privacy of the private cubicles studying, doing homework, or just talking and being alone.

Ethan appreciates the privacy and having Benny all to himself whenever he can get him, but a part of him really wishes he didn’t have to hold back in how he showed Benny his affection. It’s hard when he can’t hold Benny’s hand or wrap his arms around his waist or kiss him in that spot under his jaw that makes him purr whenever Ethan wants to, especially when they’re _always_ doing those things alone. He tries to ignore how much it really bothers him, but it’s getting increasingly hard to do that.

But bringing it up only seems to upset Benny more than anything, so Ethan will just have to keep it to himself for now and hope he doesn’t slip up too badly one day.

“What are you doing after school today?” Benny asks. “Art club’s been cancelled, and Grandma’s been begging me to paint her room for a few weeks now. You think you could come over and help?”

“I would, but I actually have plans today.” Ethan busies himself with taking out a binder and shifting through the papers in it, pretending to need something.

Benny leans forward. “Really? Doing what?”

“I, uh…” Ethan’s been dreading having to tell Benny about the study session he has with Alyssa later, not because he feels guilty or anything but because he knows Benny’s going to freak out about it. Benny’s never been shy on expressing to Ethan how much he’s not fond of her (for reasons Ethan doesn’t know). But he supposes he can’t avoid the situation forever. “I agreed to tutor Alyssa and help her run lines for ‘The Greatest Showman’ auditions.” He doesn’t look up from his binder as he awaits Benny’s response.

He eventually has to look up when about a minute goes by without Benny responding. Benny’s mouth is hanging open as he stares at Ethan, blank expression on his face. “Um, are you broken or something?”

“Sorry, can you repeat that?” Benny finally says. “It sounded like you said you’re tutoring _Alyssa Reynolds_ afterschool.”

Ethan nods. “That’s because I am. She needs help understanding Chemistry and I’m helping her. And I’m helping her run lines for the auditions. Please don’t freak out.” He thinks to add the last part as an afterthought.

“Huh.” Benny sits back in his seat with an expression on his face that Ethan can’t read. He looks like he’s pondering what to say next, but for all Ethan knows he could be internally stewing over this. Finally, and to Ethan’s surprise, Benny shrugs. “Alright, no problem. Maybe we can paint this weekend or something.”

They must be in some sort of Twilight zone because the Benny he knows would never be okay with this. “Really? That’s it?”

Benny nods. “Yeah we can wait to paint. Grandma still needs to decide on the color she wants anyway, and hopefully it’s not an ugly green or something.”

“So, you’re cool with this? You don’t care that Alyssa and I are studying after school today? Because we’re going to my house and we’re going to be alone, and you complain about us being partners for Chemistry every day.” Not that Ethan wants Benny to freak out about it or anything. In fact, he appreciates how much Benny trusts Ethan in everything. But the brunet has a way of blowing everything out of proportion, especially when it comes to the friendship he has with Alyssa. Ethan expected some type of reaction out of Benny, or at least a little bit of a freak out. The fact that Benny is acting extremely chill about it shocks Ethan so much he’s not sure whether to be happy about it or suspicious.

“No. Why would it be a big deal?” Benny asks. “You’re allowed to study with other people besides me. Plus, you’re the best tutor in all of Whitechapel. You managed to get me to understand a years worth of French in one semester last year, remember?” He makes a good point. If it weren’t for Ethan Benny would have to repeat French 2 and would be a year behind everyone. “And I trust you. You and Alyssa are just friends so it’s all good.”

“Wow.” Ethan says more to himself as he smiles. “I can’t believe how chill you’re being about this.”

“I can be chill when I want to be.” Benny shrugs as the bell rings. He grabs his stuff and stands. “Anyway, I gotta get to Economics before the Crazy Quints take all the good seats again. And if I get another tardy in that class I’ll have detention for a week. See you in PE?”

Ethan nods. “See you then.” Benny walks out of the cubicle at that, Ethan watching as he leaves. He can’t believe how well that conversation went. The last time Ethan even mentioned being alone in a room with Alyssa, Benny basically had an aneurysm about it, claiming “That Paris Hilton _wannabe_ only wants to get you alone so she can be all over you like a starved grizzly bear over roadkill”.

Ethan smiles to himself as he gathers his own belongs, feeling a weight lifted from his shoulder. He feels better about agreeing to tutor Alyssa already. He’s not sure what he would have done if Benny insisted on the two not studying together, but Benny being okay with it is all he really needs to hear.

* * *

Benny is _not_ okay with this.

Absolutely nothing about this situation is okay. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Ziltch. He’s most definitely fuming on the inside at the idea of Ethan being alone with the blonde version of Blair Waldorf talking about covalent bonds over the Hamilton soundtrack while she plots the best way to steal Ethan from him (not that she would know to steal Ethan from him, and not that Ethan is Benny’s property or anything but… you get the point).

And he’s most definitely not chill. He’s the opposite of chill. He’s _flaming_ right now. How is he supposed to be chill when Alyssa Reynolds is about to have Ethan all to herself without any form of supervision to stop her from completely tainting Ethan? Ethan might be oblivious about it, but Benny knows for a fact that Alyssa has been crushing on Ethan since freshman year. From the lingering glances, to the way she leans into him when they talk, to how she blushes and giggles around him, to the lip biting and hair flipping. Her attraction to Ethan is basically like Benny’s but female. And Benny’s just supposed to sit back and be _okay_ with that?

Yup. He definitely is.

He’s well aware he can’t tell Ethan who he can and can’t hang out with. Not only is that possessive and controlling, but it’s wrong. Ethan is his own person and is capable of making his own decision and deciding who to be friends with and hang out with. He has friends that Benny isn’t necessarily friends with, while Benny has friends Ethan doesn’t hang out with much. It would be unfair of him to tell Ethan he can’t hang out with someone just because of his own fears (because he’s definitely not jealous or insecure). Plus, Ethan isn’t very cool with Char (doesn’t like her at all actually), but he never complains when Benny hangs out with her, nor does he complain when she joins them for lunch or to study.

And on top of that, Benny _trust_ Ethan. Ethan’s never done anything to make him think he wouldn’t be faithful. It wouldn’t be fair to tell Ethan he doesn’t want him alone with Alyssa just because it’s her he doesn’t trust.

Benny wants to tell Ethan no and put his foot down. He wants to set up a boundary, keeping her well out of it. But he doesn’t. He smiles, leaves the private cubicle they were in, and goes to class.

* * *

“_However big, however small_  
_Let me be part of it all_  
_Share your dreams with me_.”

Ethan’s fingers move across his piano with fluidity, barely looking at the music sheet in front of him as he plays the song he can play with his eyes closed. He spent a good amount of time learning the chords to _every_ song on ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack after the movie came out a couple years ago, committing each song to memory and also adding some of his own flair to it. He glances up at Alyssa who stands in the middle of his living room, eyes closed as her voice clearly sings the required song for the audition.

“_You may be right, you may be wrong_  
_But say that you'll bring me along_  
_To the world you see_  
_To the world I close my eyes to see_  
_I close my eyes to see_.”

Alyssa’s voice is clear, and she hits every note perfectly, her voice emitting the same emotion of love and blissfulness as Michelle Williams succeeded in doing in the movie. Ethan can’t help but wonder how she can sing so confidently without succumbing to nerves like he tends to do so often. Then again, Alyssa has starred in (and sang in) almost every show their school has had since they were freshmen. She probably doesn’t know the definition of nervous.

“_Every night I lie in bed_  
_The brightest colors fill my head_  
_A million dreams are keeping me awake_.”

Ethan tries not to feel sad as she sings. Auditions for their schools’ rendition of ‘The Greatest Showman’ are this week, and although he wants more than anything to star in it as P.T. Barnum, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to make it to the auditions without dying at least five times beforehand. The biggest downside to having extreme stage fright is being forced to watch others live out one of your dreams while you sit on the sideline’s hoping they don’t forget their blocking or choreography.

“_I think of what the world could be_  
_A vision of the one I see_  
_A million dreams is all it's gonna take_  
_A million dreams for the world we're gonna make_.”

Alyssa opens her eyes, her gray orbs connect with Ethan’s brown ones. She sings the last line of the song with their eyes locked together.

“_For the world we’re gonna make_.”

The intensity behind her eyes almost makes Ethan miss a chord. He looks away as he finishes the song. The two stay in the silence after the last piano note, letting the final sounds of the piano resonate throughout the living room. After a few seconds, Alyssa finally turns to Ethan. “How was that?”

Ethan grins. “That was incredible. Your voice sounded great and you’re going to crush the audition. If they don’t give you the role of Charity Barnum then the entire theater club is rigged.”

Alyssa giggles. “Thanks. Pretty sure Margo Chestnut is trying out for that role too, and she’s a lot more lethal and ruthless about auditions than I am. She probably sleeps with the script under her pillow and all that.”

“I think one of the requirements of being a Crazy Quint is to be lethal and ruthless. Right after being nauseatingly peppy.” Ethan smirks as Alyssa joins him on the piano bench. Margo Chestnut is probably the second craziest of the Crazy Quints, the first being Delia Benson. “But I think you’d fit the role better than she would. Don’t tell her I said that though.”

“Really?” Alyssa looks at him curiously. “How so?”

Ethan shrugs. “I mean, Margo’s a great actress and all, but it would be a lot like a shark trying out for the role of Cinderella. She’d have to try harder to convince people she’s Charity Barnum, whereas you probably wouldn’t have that issue. You play most roles flawlessly already so I feel like you’d really wow everyone with how well you portray Charity in this.” He isn’t just saying that either. Alyssa _killed_ it as Rizzo during last years rendition of ‘Grease’, and she had two days to prepare (she was originally an understudy). She’s extremely talented at both singing and acting, and if she doesn’t get the role over Margo Chestnut then he’ll really need to have a few words with Mrs. Wahlberg. And not nice ones either.

“Wow.” Alyssa says softly. “That’s really sweet of you Ethan.” She’s giving Ethan a look that’s starts making him uncomfortable, a lot like earlier during chem lab. Her eyes dart from his eyes to his lips, and he’s suddenly made aware of how close she’s sitting next to him. All his red flags are going up and he knows that if he doesn’t do something right now, things are going to escalate in a direction Ethan really doesn’t want them going in.

Ethan clears his throat as he stands up hastily. “So, uh, do you want to go over the dialogue to make sure you got it? Then afterwards we can start studying.”

He pretends not to notice the look of disappointment on her face as she nods, reaching for her binder to retrieve the two copies of the script she has. “I’m not off book yet, but maybe if we go through it a few times I won’t need the script anymore.”

“Mrs. Wahlberg will definitely love it if you’re off book during the audition. Show’s how committed you are to the role.” He tries not to be weird after the “moment” the two had (if you could even call it that anyway). If anything it could all be in his head, and Alyssa could just be acting how girls normally act around other guys. Even though neither Sarah nor Erica are this forward with him. But there’s now way she’s actually flirting with him. _She’s not coming on to you at all_.

Ethan clears his throat again before beginning to read from the script. “Hey.”

“Oh god!” Alyssa pretends to be scared by his presence as written in the script. “You’re home early.”

“And until further notice.”

Alyssa shakes her head. “Well I didn’t think you were long for that job.”

“Or any job apparently.”

“That’s what makes our life together so exciting.” She smiles and takes a step towards Ethan. He uneasily takes a step back as he continues reading the lines.

“Charity, this isn’t the life I promised you.”

“But I have everything I want.” She takes another step towards Ethan, and Ethan backs up into the piano. Her eyes are locked on him. He focuses all his attention on the script, the couch behind Alyssa, his shoes, on everything but how close she is to him, and how uncomfortable it’s making him.

“What about the magic?” Ethan’s voice cracks as he speaks and as Alyssa takes another step closer to him. He tries to keep his composure so they can finish the scene and be done with _this_ but it’s hard when all he wants to do is tell Alyssa to _back up_! Which he doesn’t do because he’s not good at standing his ground.

Alyssa doesn’t say the next line. Ethan looks down at the script. The next thing she has to say is “What do you call those two girls?” in reference to P.T. and Charity’s daughters. He gives her a questioning look just as she does start speaking. “What do you call this?”

And then she’s leaning forward and her lips connect with his.

* * *

Benny can’t think.

He’s been sitting at his desk for almost an hour with his math homework in front of him and hasn’t answered a single question. He has The Weeknd playing softly in the background (which usually helps him focus), and he had a sandwich when he got home, so he’s not hungry. Drax isn’t whimpering for his attention, and nobody has called or texted him since he got home. He’s in the right environment for him to focus on his homework and get it done without distraction.

But he can’t focus.

Every time he tries to clear his mind and focus on the Pre-Calc in front of him, his mind drifts off to his raven haired boyfriend and the off-brand Blake Lively he’s currently alone with. He just can’t _believe_ Ethan agreed to help her study and Benny did nothing about it. Actually, he can believe Ethan agreed to help her study. Ethan’s the nicest person in their grade, and probably the whole school if you ask him. He has a hard time saying no to people who ask him for help, even when he doesn’t feel comfortable helping them. Of course he said yes when Alyssa nicely asked for help in Chemistry. He couldn’t have said no if he tried.

And now Alyssa has him _trapped_ in his own home doing god knows what to him while Ethan helplessly endures her torture. _Oh_ how Benny wishes he could go over there right now and put a stop to whatever plot she has for Ethan.

Benny doesn’t realize how mad he is until the pencil he’s holding snaps in half. He sighs, dropping the broken pieces of wood in the trash pin next to his desk.

Okay, maybe he’s overreacting just a tad bit. He’s probably feeling apprehensive (not jealous. Apprehensive) about all of this because he and Ethan are dating now, and things just aren’t the same as they were when they were friends. Maybe he’s going to feel this slight apprehension (not jealousy. Apprehension) whenever someone slightly more attractive than him (Alyssa is _way_ more attractive than him) shows an interest in or wants to hang out with Ethan. Maybe this is just his own insecurities screaming for help rather than a real thing. Benny tries to think of a time when he felt this outraged about Alyssa before they were dating, and he can’t come up with one. Probably because back then, having anything with Ethan that’s more than a friendship was simply a dream. Or a fantasy that he liked to thing about but used to believe could never happen. But now that dream is a reality. A great reality. A reality he never wants to let go of.

Maybe he’s just afraid of losing this reality he’s worked hard to keep.

His thoughts are interrupted by his phone ringing with an incoming FaceTime. He takes a second to look at the person calling before answering. “Hey Sarah. What’s up?”

“Hey, I needed to talk to you and Ethan about this years’ scavenger hunt. Student council needs volunteers to help organize it and I thought you guys would be great on that committee.”

Benny pushes aside his homework, entirely too happy with the impromptu distraction. “That sounds like fun. Last years scavenger hunt was way too easy and ended too quickly. And I’m pretty sure the seniors rigged it so they could win the trip to Disney World.”

“We’re not gonna talk about it.” Sarah shakes her head. “I’d rather not focus on how little power I had in student council last year. But this year should be different, and it starts with recruiting you guys as help. You interested?”

“Yeah definitely. And I think Ethan would be down as well.”

Sarah furrows her eyebrows. “Is he not with you right now?”

“No Sarah. Shocking as it may be but Ethan and I are not attached to the hip.”

She rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean. You guys are always together so I assumed he would be with you. Where is he though? I’ve been calling him but he’s not picking up.”

Benny looks away from the camera so she doesn’t have to see how ticked off he is. “He’s at home, tutoring Alyssa Reynolds. They’re probably discussing the wonders of the periodic table as we speak.”

“Oh _right_.” Sarah says. “I forgot about that. She mentioned that today in the locker rooms after PE.”

“What exactly did she say?” Benny raises an eyebrow.

“Just that she convinced Ethan to bring her to his house for some ‘fun’.” She puts air quotes around ‘fun’. “And she mentioned something about going down on him, but I tuned out after that because I’d rather not have that mental image in my brain.”

“I’m sorry _what_!” Benny jumps out of his seat, his chair flying backwards. Drax sits straight up from his spot in the corner, his head tilting at Benny’s sudden outburst. “She’s gonna do what to him?!”

“Go down on him apparently, but like I said I stopped listening. Ethan’s basically my brother. I don’t want to imagine that happening if I don’t need to. Plus, I didn’t believe her at first, but if he’s tutoring her right now then I guess it’s safe to say she’s having her way with him.”

Benny’s fuming again. The blood is rushing to his head and he’s suddenly seeing red. He can’t hear anything Sarah’s saying anymore because all he wants to do is punch the nearest wall as imagines of the blonde devil defiling Ethan fills his head. And poor Ethan is probably trapped, not knowing how to nicely tell her to keep her hands away from him. He should have just put his foot down when he had the chance and told Ethan not to help her out. He knew he should have listened to his gut feeling about this. And now that _girl_ is probably releasing all her poison upon Ethan’s innocent soul.

He has to get out of here.

“Sorry Sarah.” Benny interrupts whatever she’s telling him. “I forgot to do something Grandma asked me to do, but I’ll get back to you about the scavenger hunt later alright? ‘Kay, thanks, love you.” Benny hits end on the call before grabbing his jacket and skateboard and running out of the house.

* * *

Alyssa’s lips are only on Ethan’s for two seconds before he comes to his senses and pushes her off of him. He didn’t push her hard enough to hurt her or make her fall, but she does stumble back a couple of steps in shock.

The blood has drained from his face and his heart is beating hard enough to escape his chest as he processes what just happened. “Wh-what are you doing?” He stutters. That’s obviously a stupid question since he knows exactly what she’s doing. But his brain hasn’t caught up with anything yet, and he’s breathing too hard to be normal, and he thinks he’s going to have a panic attack if she doesn’t stop looking at him with that hurt and disappointed expression on her face.

“I just…” Alyssa bites her lip nervously. Ethan’s never seen her nervous before. “I thought… never mind.” Her eyes fall to the floor in what Ethan thinks is embarrassment. He wants to comforter her, let her know that it’s fine and not to feel embarrassed, or that he’s not angry or anything. And surprisingly, he’s not angry. He’s shocked and confused, but not angry. He wants to say something or do something to break the awkward silence but he’s frozen to his spot by the piano.

Finally, Alyssa speaks. “I think I’m gonna go.” She grabs her bag and binder and heads towards the door. Ethan thinks he sees the glint of a tear running down her face as she leaves. This is what gets Ethan’s legs to finally work.

“Alyssa wait.” Ethan grabs her wrist before she can leave. She doesn’t yank her wrist away but she doesn’t turn around to face him either. Ethan doesn’t know exactly what to say to her, but he doesn’t want her to leave feeling upset without her getting some type of explanation. But how do you tell someone why you don’t like them in that way without telling them exactly why. “Look, you’re a great person. And I like hanging out with you during school and theater club. And I don’t want you to feel bad or anything—”

“You don’t have to explain yourself Ethan.” She turns around but doesn’t meet his eyes. “I managed to convince myself that we’ve been sharing moments between theater club and chem class. And I thought you were being shy and I would have to make the first move. I guess I was wrong about it. Only thing is I made a fool out of myself in the process, and probably made things real awkward between us, which I didn’t want to do since you’re a great friend.”

“I had no idea you felt like that Alyssa, and I’m so sorry.” He doesn’t know what to say to not make her upset, but he knows he has to try. The last thing he wanted was a rift like this between their friendship. “I didn’t mean to lead you on even though I didn’t know I was doing that—”

“You didn’t Ethan.” She interrupts him a second time, this time slightly harsher than the first. “I led myself on. You’re super sweet and charming when you don’t know you’re being charming. And you get awkward and flustered so easily that it’s cute. And whenever we talk you look at me like what I have to say really matters, and no guy has ever looked at me like that before.” Ethan didn’t think rejecting someone was going to hurt him this much. But Alyssa’s words are breaking his heart mainly because it sounds like he’s breaking hers. “And I did myself a disservice by falling for it all. This is more my fault for getting caught up in what I thought was there than yours.”

Ethan shakes his head. “No, it’s not your fault—”

“But it is.” Alyssa sighs. “It’s okay though. You don’t have to tutor me in chemistry any more if you don’t want to. I don’t really need the help anyway. Just thought me not understanding chemistry would be a good way to get us alone.” Her smile doesn’t meet her eyes. “And I’ll stay out of your way. Just because you can’t make me happy doesn’t mean another lucky girl—”

“Guy.”

Alyssa stops midsentence, her mouth open slightly. She looks at Ethan with question marks in her eyes. “W-what?”

Ethan closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. Is he really about to do this? Is he really going to share the one thing he’s been hiding for months with someone he’s not necessarily close with, someone that’s not on his immediate list of people to come out to first? Despite how much they get along, he doesn’t know Alyssa that well. They only really became friends this year when they became lab partners and started talking and hanging out more during school. She doesn’t know him like Benny, Sarah, Erica, and Rory do, probably hasn’t had enough time to have a solid opinion of Ethan or to make a proper judgement of him.

And that reason alone is exactly why he’s about to do this. “I, um…” He’s suddenly nervous again as the implication of what he’s about to do falls on him. But he doesn’t chicken out. “I have a boyfriend.” There. He’s said it. It’s out in the open. No going back now.

He can’t read the expression Alyssa wears. He can tell she’s shocked, but there’s other emotions on her face he can’t pick up. Anger? Nah. Disappointment? Maybe. Confusion? Probably. Understanding?

Definitely.

“Huh. Boyfriend.” She repeats, nodding as she processes his words. She plops down on the couch. “I suddenly feel really stupid for a completely different reason.”

“Sorry.” Ethan apologizes for lack of anything better to say.

Alyssa shakes her head and smiles. “No Ethan it’s fine. It’s just… there’s suddenly so much that makes sense now.” She chuckles to herself, and Ethan has a lot of questions about what that means but keeps it to himself for now. “I’m really happy you felt comfortable sharing that with me. I know it probably wasn’t easy.”

Ethan shakes his head. “It wasn’t. But strangely enough, it was.”

She nods as he sits down next to her. “I can imagine. But I’m proud of you either way.” She gives him a genuine smile. Not a sly or flirtatious smirk, or a playful grin like she usually gives him. This smile is soft, and full of support and understanding. Ethan appreciates that and smiles back.

“Thanks.”

“So, is he anyone I know?”

It takes Ethan a second to realize what she’s talking about. “Oh, uhh… maybe.” It’s probably not a good idea to out Benny when he’s not here to speak for himself. Ethan being out to someone is one thing. Benny being out when he’s not ready is another.

She gives him a knowing smirk. “Okay. I won’t pry. You can tell me who he is whenever you’re ready. Does anybody else know besides me?”

Ethan shakes his head. “We haven’t come out to anyone yet. We’ve been together for four months and you’re the first person I’m telling. My parents don’t even know yet.” He pauses as he shrugs. “I don’t know, we agreed not to tell anyone when we first started dating because we had a lot to figure out, and neither one of us were ready for a big step like coming out to people who have assumed you to be straight your whole life. I don’t know how people are going to react or if they’re going to look at me differently or if they’re going to accept me and… it’s nerve wrecking to think about.”

“I get it.” Alyssa places a hand on his knee. “Straight is unfortunately the default everyone is assumed to be, making it hard to let people know when you’re something different. But nobody’s rushing you to come out or anything. You and your boyfriend can out yourselves whenever you’re ready to do so. Plus, it’s really nobody’s business who you date and what your sexuality is but yours.”

“Yeah. You’re right. I’m glad you said that.”

“So, you’re definitely gay then?” she asks out of pure curiosity.

Ethan shrugs. “I don’t know. I mean, obviously I’m attracted to boys. I’ve known that since middle school. And I’m pretty sure I’ve liked girls too but I’m not sure if I’ve liked both the same. It’s still kind of confusing to me. But what I feel for… _him_,” he’s careful not to say Benny’s name, “I’ve never felt for anyone else before.”

“I understand. You still have a lot of self-discovery to do before you can put a label on yourself.” She places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “But like I said, there’s no rush. Take as much time as you need.”

Ethan gives her a soft smile, which she returns. “Thanks. For understanding. It feels good to talk about it rather than keep it all to myself.”

“It’s no problem. On the plus side, I have someone new to talk about cute boys with that’s not female. Don’t give me that look.” Ethan didn’t even realize he was giving her a look. “Just because you have a man doesn’t mean you’re suddenly blind and can’t have opinions.”

“I guess you’re right.” Ethan laughs and Alyssa laughs with him. “By the way, do you mind if this…”

“Don’t worry Ethan.” Alyssa says as if reading his mind. “I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me. And I promise nothing has to be weird or anything between us. I actually think we’ll be really great friends.”

Ethan’s grateful for that. And he thinks they’ll be great friends too, now that he’s shared a part of himself with her that nobody else knows. He didn’t think coming out to someone could be this easy, nor did he think he’d feel this good afterwards. He was honestly prepared for the worst. But if coming out to someone he’s not that close with can be this simple, what’s really stopping him from coming out to everyone else?

Before he can say anything else, his front door bursts open and Benny comes rushing in, face red like a beat and eyes practically flaming. He looks between Ethan and Alyssa, who both stare up at him wide eyed and lost for words, both for different reasons. “Oh, thank _god_ you’re okay!” He pants.

“Benny what are you doing?” Ethan seethes more exasperated than anything. After the afternoon he’s had the last thing he needs is Benny making a big scene over nothing. He glances at Alyssa who doesn’t speak. She just looks from Benny to Ethan with a blank expression.

Benny ignores Ethan as he pulls the smaller teen behind him. “And I’m just in time too. Didn’t get a chance to unleash your blonde-haired venom all over him now did you, you _fake_ Britney Spears looking—”

“Oh my god Benny _shut up_!” Ethan exclaims, slapping Benny’s shoulder to get his attention.

“No, no Ethan, you don’t get it. She doesn’t want chemistry help! She was plotting on getting you alone so she’d have access to you pants! What was that about you going down on Ethan? Not today satan!”

Why must his boyfriend choose the wrong time to make an ass out of himself?

“_Benny shut the hell up_!” Ethan yells. This finally gets Benny’s attention as he turns to look at Ethan. “Just _shut up_ for five seconds _please_ so you can listen!”

Benny’s chest rises and falls from the chaotic outburst, but the message gets across. As much as he doesn’t want to, he keeps his mouth shut as Ethan steps around him. He literally just fixed the awkward situation he was in with Alyssa, and here comes Benny guns a blazing and word vomit spewing, potentially making the situation worse than it was before. Ethan rubs a hand down his face as he searches for the right words to apologize to Alyssa with after Benny’s very embarrassing outburst, but the blonde is still sitting with a blank expression on her face, looking from Ethan to Benny and back to Ethan.

Finally, after an agonizingly long five seconds, she nods to herself. “Hm. And that makes even more sense.”

Ethan wants to scream.

This is _exactly_ what he was trying to avoid.

“What? I don’t understand. What makes sense?” Benny looks between Ethan and Alyssa questioningly, eyes still wild from his outburst.

“Benny nothing’s happening here, okay?” Ethan breathes out. “We’ve just been talking about… I told her that… She knows…” Ethan trails off at that, hoping Benny gets the message without him having to say anything else.

“Sh-she knows…” Benny repeats, darting his eyes away from Ethan so he can process. Ethan braces himself for Benny’s incoming reaction. Once it clicks, his eyes widen as he looks at Ethan dumbfoundedly. “She knows? Ethan, you told her that we’re dating? Why?”

“He didn’t tell me the two of you are dating.” Alyssa stands up, embodying the confidence Ethan has always know her to have. “He told me that he’s dating someone that happens to be a boy, and only because I was being annoying earlier. I figured out _you’re_,” she points to Benny, “the boy he’s dating when you came in here yelling at the top of your lungs like a lunatic. Which if you think about it, it makes sense. I rarely see the two of you apart, and that’s most definitely not your hoodie.” She directs that last part to Ethan, who blushes and crosses his arms. So what if he likes stealing Benny’s clothes. Sue him.

“Don’t worry though.” Alyssa continues as she grabs her bag. “I’m good at keeping secrets. I won’t out you guys or anything. That would be a shitty thing to do, and that’s something you have to decide to do on your own terms. You have my word.”

“Thanks Alyssa.” Ethan says gratefully. “I really appreciate it. And thanks for not overreacting.” His eyes dart to Benny, who rolls his own eyes and pouts.

“It’s honestly no problem. Besides, this just gives us something else to talk about. Something nobody else knows.” She smirks as she walks past the boys. “Anyway, I’ll just leave you two to whatever it is you guys like doing behind closed doors. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow in class Ethan.”

“Yeah. See you.” Ethan calls. Alyssa let’s herself out and Ethan hurries to lock the door behind her so nobody else can barge in and interrupt anything else. He plops doing on the couch next to an exhausted Benny whose elbow is on the armrest with his head in his hands. Ethan nudges him lightly to get his attention, and Benny peers down at him. “Are you okay?”

Benny closes his eyes and nods. “Yeah. Just exhausted now. That whole outburst took a lot of energy out of me, and I was skateboard over here too so…”

“So you’re not mad or anything? About someone finding out that we’re together?” Ethan asks. He knows how much Benny wants to keep their relationship as private as possible and hopes he isn’t all that upset about Alyssa knowing.

Benny thinks about it and shakes his head. “No. I thought I would be mad but I’m not. I’m a little ticked off at myself for getting all worked up over nothing and outing myself in the process, but I’m really not mad.”

Ethan nods. The two sit in silence for a minute before he speaks. “What was all of that about anyway? I thought you were okay with Alyssa coming over today.”

“I dunno E.” Benny breathes as he looks at Ethan. “I didn’t want to tell you who you can and can’t hang out with because you’re still your own person and it’s not my place. But the more I thought about the two of you being alone the more it started to bother me. And then Sarah mentioned something Alyssa said in the girls’ locker room and…” Benny trails off. He doesn’t want to admit it, but when he says all of that out loud it becomes apparent to him exactly why he went crazy. “I guess I just got jealous.”

Ethan furrows his eyebrows. “Jealous? Why?”

Benny shrugs as he plays with a loose thread on his jeans. “For the same reason you were jealous of Char that one time.” Ethan tries not to be embarrassed at the memory of himself getting upset because Benny and Char were getting along while they were decorating the hallway for Halloween. “I mean, look at her and look at me Ethan. She’s pretty and blonde and popular and super nice to everyone. And she has boobs. I just felt like if you compare her to me she has more to offer, y’know. And I just don’t amount to much.” He says the last part in a small voice, fixating his eyes on a particular spot on the carpet.

Ethan looks at Benny incredulously. He can’t believe Benny’s been feeling this way about himself and Ethan hasn’t even noticed. The last time they had a conversation like this was right after they finished decorating the hallway back in October and Ethan had to do damage control for being an idiot. He never realized Benny’s been _this_ insecure this whole time. No wonder he’s never liked Ethan hanging out with Alyssa.

“Hey.” Ethan pulls Benny’s chin up so he can look into his tired, beautiful green eyes. Eyes that, now that Ethan has a better look at them, has small traces of sadness. Ethan leans forward and presses his lips against Benny’s. The taller boy sighs into the kiss, as if releasing all the pent-up anxiety he’s been harboring for the day. He deepens the kiss, taking Ethan’s bottom lip between his own. Ethan let’s out a low growl as he cups Benny’s cheek with his hand. He leans forward, pouring himself into the kiss the way he did the first time they ever kissed. They way he’s always kissed him. He uses his lips to remind Benny just how much he means to Ethan, and just how strong his feels are for the boy.

Ethan pulls away first, causing Benny to groan in protest. “Don’t do that. Don’t down play yourself like that. You have a lot more to offer than you think you do. You’re smart, and compassionate, and you have the biggest heart and softest smile and _the_ most beautiful eyes.” Benny blushes. “You’re amazing Benny, and I can’t believe you don’t see it in yourself but it’s true. And everything that we have, all the feelings that I have for you, nothing can compare to that. _You’re_ the one that I want to be with. Not anyone else. And nothing’s going to ever change that. So, you don’t have to worry about anyone else, okay?”

Benny gives a small nod. “Not even pretty blonde girls?”

Ethan chuckles. “Pretty blonde girls are _nothing_ when I have you in my life.” Ethan captures Benny’s lips again, this time with more force. Benny responds by placing his hands on Ethan’s hips to draw him closer. He’ll admit, it’s a relief to hear Ethan say those things. It keeps his own insecurities at bay. But who could blame him for feeling insecure? Alyssa is someone that so many people at their school fawn over. When she started showing interest in Ethan it struck a nerve because what are the chances that Ethan might end up liking her more than he likes Benny?

But having Ethan willingly next to him, kissing him, and blatantly telling him that he is the one Ethan wants to be with settles Benny’s mind. He feels like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, like he can finally relax and enjoy the fact that he has the best boyfriend in the whole world, even if nobody else knows about it.

Well, one person knows about it. But for now that’s more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how much I like how this chapter turned out. I first wrote this chapter about two years ago and had to adapt it from the train wreck it was and make it more relevant to this story, which was honestly a pain and is why this too so long to update. But it's here now and I hope you all enjoyed it.
> 
> Also a possible name change may be coming soon, so be prepared for THEBLACKAGENDA to change soon. But don't be alarmed. It'll still be me.
> 
> -THEBLACKAGENDA


	12. Get In Loser

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter (and chapters following this one) takes place in February.

It’s a quiet, peaceful morning.

And then Ethan’s phone starts ringing.

Ethan grumbles as the shrill noise fills his once quiet bedroom, the vibration of the phone just as loud and disturbing on his nightstand. He tries to ignore it in favor of staying asleep for as long as possible. Whoever’s calling him should know better than to contact him earlier than 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday (which he believes is a reasonable time) unless Godzilla is literally outside his window. The ringing eventually ends as the call goes to voicemail. His room falls silent, and Ethan sighs into his pillow as he hugs it closer to his face. His body relaxes and he starts drifting back into his peaceful slumber, his dream picking up from where it last left off…

And then the phone starts ringing _again_.

Ethan groans in irritation. He blindly grabs for his phone and presses it to his ear without checking to see who’s calling. “_What_?” His voice is raspy from sleep, and he doesn’t sound pleasant in the slightest, but he can’t seem to care. He honestly hopes the person on the other line can hear the pure irritation in his voice.

“Wow, grumpy much?” He hears Benny say. Ethan would be happy to hear his voice if he weren’t still on the brink of sleep. “Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning now didn’t they.”

“You’d be grumpy too if you were rudely woken up on a Saturday morning at,” Ethan cracks an eye open to look at the time on his phone, “8:30? Seriously Benny? This better be fucking important.”

“It is important Ethan. Sort of.” Benny mumbles the last part, to which Ethan huffs as he flips himself to lie on his back. “I need your help today. I’m coming over in half an hour and we’re going to the mall. There’s a huge sale today and if we get there too late we’ll miss it. So be ready.”

Ethan rubs his still closed eyes as he moans. “The mall babe? You woke me up at the asscrack of dawn on a Saturday morning to go to the mall?” Ethan finally got the chance to enjoy more than six hours of sleep after another hectic week of being a junior in high school. From studying for midterms, to proofreading and editing the script for theater, to finishing the proposal for STEM club, to SAT prep, this past week has by far been the hardest in all of Ethan’s school career (funny how he’s been saying that every week since Christmas break). Needless to say, he was more than excited to go to sleep as early as 1:00 a.m. (yes, this entire week he has been going to sleep past this time) in hopes that he’ll be able to catch up on some sleep and feel less like a walking zombie and more rejuvenated.

But that was a fat chance now wasn’t it?

“You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.” Benny pleads. “Please Ethan? I really need your help today and I want to get to the mall early to beat the crowds and catch the sale before it’s too late.”

Ethan sighs. He knows Benny is right. He wouldn’t wake Ethan up this earlier after the week he’s had if it weren’t for something important (not to mention Benny’s week has been just as bad as Ethan’s, if not worse). Though he does have to question the urgency of going to the mall earlier than necessary. Why can’t they go to the mall in the afternoon or something, or at a time when both of Ethan’s eyes aren’t still glued shut?

“I guess you don’t have to if you’re really that tired.” Ethan snaps out of his train of thought. He must have taken too long to answer Benny because the teen suddenly sounds sorry for calling Ethan and waking him up with something that’s admittedly not urgent. “I know you’ve had a rough week and you need your rest so it’s okay if you really don’t want to.”

“No babe, it’s fine.” Ethan says while stifling a yawn. “The mall sounds like fun. And if you really need my help with… whatever it is you need my help with then I’ll be ready in thirty minutes.”

Benny sighs in relief. “Thanks E. I have no idea what I would have done without you. And I promise I’ll explain everything when I get to your house. Oh, and that new churro place is finally open. I know how you love a good churro.”

“Right. See you in thirty.” Ethan hangs up the phone and sits up. He stretches his arms above him and lets out a yawn that the neighbors could probably hear. He then proceeds to stare at the wall for a full five minutes, contemplating his entire life and if he really wants to be a good and supportive boyfriend today. Would it really be so bad to tell Benny he’s not going to the mall this early for a huge sale and some churros?

Yes. Yes it would.

* * *

As promised, Ethan hears a knock on his bedroom door thirty minutes later. He yells, “Come in!” as he finishes tying his sneakers.

Benny, dawning his glasses (and looking _amazing_ in them might Ethan add), walks in and closes the door behind him. “Is it just me or does your sister become scarier and scarier the older she gets?”

“What do you mean?” Ethan sits up.

“Dude, she was hardcore grilling me the minute I stepped foot into your house.” Benny exclaims (which, Ethan would like to argue, he does at a volume that is very inappropriate for this early in the morning). “She was staring at me as if I was the number one suspect in a murder mystery and she was using her eyes to figure out if I’m guilty or not. It was creepy.” Benny shivers as if to emphasis his point.

Ethan chuckles as he stands up. “She’s twelve Benny. She’s harmless. I’ve seen puppies creepier than Jane.”

Benny shrugs. “Yeah well, she’s at that age where girls are scary and get mad for no given reason. What if she was plotting to slit my throat in my sleep because I looked at her wrong?”

“That won’t happen because Jane faints at the sight of blood.” Ethan smirks. “But I promise I will protect you from my incredibly evil and murderous little sister. You have my word.” He walks up to Benny and leans forward until their lips connect. He slides his hands under Benny’s jacket and around his waist. Benny gasps when Ethan’s fingers make contact with his skin, and Ethan takes this opportunity to deepen the kiss and sucks on Benny’s lower lip. Benny bunches up the front of Ethan’s shirt in his fists and pulls him closer, suddenly so overcome with the desire to be closer to Ethan that it almost hurts. The desire burns deep within him like a blue flame that grows stronger the longer their lips are connected. Ethan’s hands move from around Benny’s waist to roam up his bare chest, his hands committing the feeling of the toned muscles to memory. His thumbs caress Benny’s nipples, and Benny becomes so high off the taste and touch of Ethan Morgan and the pure_ want_ of him and he swears it makes him see stars. He kisses Ethan with a hungry desire he didn’t realize he was capable of, his tongue slipping into the shorter teens mouth to claim it as his own. Ethan happily obliges to the intrusion, his own tongue dancing around Benny’s at a fast tempo.

The noise that escapes Benny’s throat is the only thing that brings him back to the reality of the situation and makes him aware of just how much he _wants_ Ethan. The realization shocks him so much that he pulls away from Ethan abruptly. His heart is pumping fast and his eyes are wide and his cheeks are impossibly flushed because that escalated quicker than he anticipated for, and although it’s excited him in more ways than one, it scares him even more.

He doesn’t miss the slight hurt and disappointment in Ethan’s eyes though. Ethan probably thinks he did something wrong, or that Benny wasn’t enjoying the kiss or doesn’t like kissing him, or something absurd like that. Benny knows Ethan well enough to know the downward spiral his thought process can take. And judging by his downturned lips, Ethan is definitely beginning to spiral.

Benny schools his emotions enough to come off as less shocked and more amused, and smirks. “Are you trying to distract me from our plans for today with a hot make-out session?”

Ethan blushes, but the hurt expression disappears and is replaced with a sly, more flirtatious look. “Maybe. Is it working?”

“Almost.” Benny admits, releasing Ethan’s shirt and letting his hands move to Ethan’s shoulders. “But I really do have something important to do today, and the longer we spend standing here making out and playing tongue hockey, the less time we have.”

Ethan groans. “Ugh! You know I hate it when you use the term _tongue hockey_.”

“You don’t hate it more than when I say_ devil’s tango_ though.”

“Fucking hell, please stop.”

Benny chuckles before pecking Ethan’s lips and releasing him. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, let me just get my jacket and we can go.”

The two head downstairs once Ethan’s jacket is on, all traces of their make-out session completely forgotten (mostly forgotten. Benny is still thinking of the blue flame and overpowering _want_, but he’s pushing it to the farthest corner of his mind). In the living room they pass Jane who’s wrapped in a blanket on the couch eating a bowl of cereal. Ethan sticks his tongue out at her, and she responds by flipping him off without even looking up.

“Just for that I’m not bringing you back a churro.”

Jane huffs but doesn’t say anything. Benny doesn’t miss the way she’s “discreetly” watching him like a hawk. He gives her an awkward smile before hurrying behind Ethan, not wanting any part in whatever she might be scheming against him.

* * *

“So, are you going to tell me what was so urgent that you woke me up at nine in the morning to go to the mall? Or are you going to make me guess until I get annoyed and don’t talk to you for the rest of the day?”

The two boys sit side by side on the full bus, trying their best to not feel claustrophobic, which is hard because this bus is packed. They only got seats by chance, and luckily so because otherwise they would probably be getting to know some strangers more intimately than anyone would prefer. Today is one of those days where both boys wish they had their license already so they wouldn’t have to deal with crowded public transportation anymore.

_Less than two weeks_, Benny thinks to himself when an older woman almost knocks him in the face with her huge handbag. “Can’t I just want to spend the day in the mall with my favorite person without there being an alternative reason?”

Ethan doesn’t comment on Benny saying he is his ‘favorite person’ but it does make him blush. “Of course you can Benny. But not at nine in the morning, when neither one of us has had a good nights’ sleep since Halloween.”

Ethan’s right. They’re both incredibly sleep deprived and running on empty, and Benny doesn’t typically wake up early on a Saturday for no reason. “Well I haven’t had a good nights’ sleep since I left the womb but go off.” Ethan just gives him an unimpressed look.

“Alright fine.” Benny sighs. “I’ll tell you why we’re going to the mall. So you can stop looking at me like that.” Benny pauses, trying to find the right words without going into too much detail. “Long story short, my dad’s birthday is coming up, and I want to get him something special this year. You know, something that’s not a tacky necktie or basic wallet that have been staples since I was a kid.” Benny’s put a lot of thought into what he thinks his dad will really appreciate this year for his birthday. He’s never tried to find anything special because his dad usually really likes the different patterned ties Benny would gift him (and usually his dad is home for his birthday so they can celebrate as a family). Benny really wants to put effort into this years gift and try to make this year as special as possible without his dad being here.

Ethan narrows his eyebrows at Benny. “Your dad’s birthday is coming up? Isn’t he going to be in Japan for the next four months?”

Benny’s lips go into a thin line as he nods. “Yeah.”

Ethan opens his mouth to argue that if Benny’s dad is in Japan why are they in a rush to get him a present when he won’t be celebrating with Benny anyway, but thinks better of it. If he’s learned anything from being Benny’s friend for twelve years (and boyfriend for five months) it’s that the one thing Benny hates talking about is his dad having to live in Japan for the majority of the year. Whenever it’s brought up he’ll usually put up a wall and become closed off or change the subject to something else. And judging by Benny’s demeanor, now’s not the best time to try to get him to talk about it.

The best way to get Benny to talk about his dad being away is for him to bring it up himself.

So instead, Ethan places a hand on Benny’s knee and gives him a supportive smile. “Well I agree. I think we’re past the age where neckties and wallets are acceptable gifts to give adults because we don’t know what else to get. They’re in the same bracket as socks and gift cards.”

Benny snorts (and is relieved based on what Ethan can see). “I disagree with that. A gift card still makes for a great gift. It shows the other person we were thinking of them while also giving them control over the gift they receive.”

“So what you’re saying is if I got you a gift card for your birthday, you would be okay with it.”

“I wouldn’t test that theory if I were you, unless you want to end up single.” Benny gives Ethan a pointed look, trying to look serious. His lips eventually twitch into a smile that Ethan returns. The two giggle, knowing that Benny is only joking and wouldn’t leave Ethan even if his life depended on it.

“Do you know what you’re going to get him yet?” Ethan asks after a few quiet moments.

“Kind of.” Benny admits. “I have an idea. It’s been in my head for a while now and I just think now is the right time to go through with it. But it may or may not work out the way I want it too. It might take a while to find everything I need, and it requires a lot of detail and time and energy. That’s why I wanted to come so early in the first place. Also because if it doesn’t work out I’ll still have time to find some tacky ties my dad might enjoy.” He jokes at the end.

“Are you going to tell me what your idea is?”

“Mmh, nah.” Ethan gives Benny an incredulous look. “I just think it’s better if you see for yourself. It will make more sense that way, I promise.”

Ethan pouts but doesn’t argue. He’s still not sure why they couldn’t go to the mall later in the day, or the next day, or next week even, but it seems to be really important to Benny that he gets what he needs today. Ethan can be supportive without really understand what he’s being supportive of, but as long as it makes Benny happy then it shouldn’t matter.

* * *

“You hungry?” Benny asks once they’re off the bus, walking side by side down the street. His hands are shoved in his pockets so he doesn’t give into the temptation of interlacing his fingers with Ethan’s. Their shoulders are constantly brushing though, and somehow that feels just as intimate as holding his hand.

Ethan’s hand falls on his stomach. “Now that you mention it, yeah I am. I skipped breakfast today because _somebody_ only gave me thirty minutes to get ready.”

Benny scoffs. “Why would you need more time than that? All you had to do was shower and get dressed. That shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes tops.”

“First of all, it took me ten minutes to actually wake up. And second of all, you know how much I value my time in the shower.” Benny nods. That’s fair he supposes. “Besides, I may or may not have purposely skipped breakfast so we can have something to eat together.” Benny doesn’t miss the pink tint Ethan’s cheeks take.

Benny smirks. “Oh really? If you wanted to have a breakfast date, you know all you had to do was ask.” Ethan swats Benny’s chest as the taller boy chuckles. “Good thing you did though because I’m starving and was going to stop for something to eat whether you wanted to or not.”

Ethan pouts. Benny’s eyes fall on the way his lower lip sticks out and has the strongest urge to kiss Ethan right there in the middle of the street. He’s reminded of the fiery _want_ he felt during their make-out session earlier and how that made his insides feel. He nearly stumbles as they walk with how suddenly he remembers it. He quickly pushes the feeling and the urge to kiss Ethan as deep into the back of his mind as possible, and instead slings an arm around Ethan’s shoulders and leads him in the direction of a small French café across the street from the mall.

* * *

“_Merci_.” Ethan smiles at the waitress who places their breakfast sandwiches in front of them. His mouth waters at the sight and smell of the hot sandwich in front of him, the smell of the melted ham and cheese making his stomach grumble more than it already was. He picks up the sandwich and takes a bite out of it, holding back a moan when the different tastes explode in his mouth. He doesn’t know if the café has really good chefs in the back or if he’s just incredibly hungry, but he’s sure he’s never tasted anything as good as this sandwich before. It’s so heavenly he might cry.

Ethan looks up from his food when he feels a pair of eyes on him. He quickly swallows before speaking. “Why are you staring at me?”

Benny shrugs as he takes a bite of his own sandwich. “You make the cutest expressions when you’re eating. Did you know that? It’s like a baby panda after not eating all day.”

Ethan almost chokes on his coffee (which is also heavenly. Who the hell is the chef?!) “I don’t know whether to be creeped out because you’re watching me eat, or because you compared me to a baby panda. Or flattered by the compliment.”

“I see nothing creepy about what I said and stand by it fully. Plus why wouldn’t you want to be compared to a baby panda? They’re adorable.”

“Being called a baby panda while I’m eating takes away the adorable factor in that statement.” Ethan mumbles. “You compare everyone to baby animals now or is that a privilege reserved for me?”

“I’ve never compared anyone to a baby animal before right now. But now that you mention it, I think that’s something I’ll start doing from now on. A privilege reserved just for you. That okay with you koala bear?”

Ethan has to take another sip of coffee so he doesn’t focus on his hot cheeks. “Do I really have a choice?”

“Nope.”

“I guess that’s fair.” He takes another bite of his sandwich, fighting back another moan. He’s definitely coming back here on the way home to order one to go.

“Have I also ever told you it’s really attractive when you speak French?”

Ethan wipes his mouth with a napkin in an attempt to hide his blush. “You’ve mentioned that a few times.”

“Like when you ordered your… what is that sandwich called again?”

“A _croque monsieur._”

“Yeah, that. I don’t know what it is but the way the words roll of your tongue and the accent you have is just so… endearing. And exotic.”

“I’m glad me ordering a ham and cheese sandwich in French is what does it for you.” Ethan tries to joke, but he can’t hide how warm he feels from the compliments Benny is showering him with. “What’s with all the compliments? You’ve seen me eat and heard me speak French a thousand times. Why is today so different?”

Benny just shrugs. “I dunno. Just felt like telling my boyfriend how cute he is, that’s all. And doesn’t matter how many times I hear you speak French, I will always tell you how attractive that is. I’m allowed to do that, aren’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” Benny takes a sip of his own coffee. “What did you call my sandwich when you ordered it?”

“_A croque madame_?”

Benny hums. “There it is again. That accent, that annunciation. _Ugh_, so good. You really know how to work the language of love.”

Ethan just gives Benny a questioning look. “Please don’t make this weird.”

“I’m not going to make it weird.” Benny defends. “When have I ever made things weird between us? Don’t answer that.” Ethan chuckles. The two fondly stare at each other, their eyes saying more than their words can. Of course there’s more that Benny wants to say, and there’s more he wants to do while he has Ethan to himself. But they’re not exactly alone in the café, and Benny can’t just ignore how the thought of being out makes him feel like panicking and throwing up. He settles for giving Ethan a warm smile, which he returns, before continuing to eat.

A few moments pass before Benny speaks again. “Did I ever tell you how cute your ears are?”

“Okay, now you’re making it weird.”

* * *

The mall is moderately full when they finally walk through the revolving doors, people already bustling from store to store even though it’s not even 10:00 yet. It’s not full enough to make Benny panic from enochlophobia or claustrophobia, which is good because there’s no way he’d be able to function properly if it were.

“I can’t believe so many people are in the mall this early.” Ethan mumbles more to himself than to Benny.

“I know. People wake up and start their day at a reasonable time instead of sleeping and complaining all morning. Who would have thought?” Ethan doesn’t miss the sarcasm.

“Ha ha.” Ethan deadpans. “You’re hilarious.”

“Thank you, I’ll be here all week.” Benny grins as he grabs Ethan’s wrist. “Now come on. If we stand around here we’ll miss the opening of the music store, and then it will be too crowded to function in there. And you know how I feel about crowds.”

Benny pulls Ethan in the direction of the music store, maneuvering around people as he heads to the escalators. Ethan stumbles along behind him, struggling to keep up with Benny as the taller boy is practically running up the escalator. He can’t remember Benny ever running this fast on purpose, which is saying something because Benny never runs fast unless necessary. Ethan considers telling Benny to slow down because there’s no reason to sprint up the escalators like his heels are on fire but decides not to. It’s hard enough to get Benny to listen when he’s this deep into tunnel vision. His pleas to slow down would end up falling on deaf ears. Ethan just does his best to walk as fast as Benny without tripping over his own feet.

They finally arrive at the small music store called _Clef Up_ on the second floor of the mall. The store is still closed for another few minutes, but something else must be going on because there’s a line of people outside the store. It’s not a long line but the music store is relatively small, and they’re mainly known for selling old CDs and vinyl’s and a few vintage guitars. So it doesn’t really make sense for people to be lined up outside of the store as if they’re selling concert tickets.

Ethan takes a minute to catch his breath before speaking. “Why are people lined up out here?”

Benny doesn’t respond (because tunnel vision) and simple leads Ethan until they’re at the back of the line. They stand behind a girl with more piercings in her ear than Ethan has every seen before, and Benny finally sighs and starts to relax. He already feels better now that they’ve made it before the store opens, and the anxiety he’s been feeling about the gift he’s planning starts to dissipate.

Ethan waits for Benny to answer his question, but the taller boy is beaming from something Ethan is unsure of (and he probably never heard Ethan’s question to begin with). He tugs on Benny’s sleeve and his boyfriend finally looks at him. “Hm? What is it?”

“Why are people lined up outside the music store?” Ethan repeats slowly.

“Oh, right. I didn’t explain what we were doing.” Ethan gives Benny an exasperated look. “Don’t look at me like that. I have tunnel vision, and you know that. Anyway, you’ve heard of Built to Spill right?”

“Um yeah, I think so. They were an indie band from the ‘90s, right?”

Benny nods. “Yeah they were. Last night the bands lead singer announced that he would be in Whitechapel doing vinyl giveaways and signing autographs. This was the music store he said he would be at, which is kind of dumb because why would you have a meet and greet in a mall without closing it down or having some form of security, but they don’t have that big of a fan base and they’re not very popular anymore so I guess it makes sense that this is all low key.”

“Oh_._” Ethan says. That does make sense. If they were a popular band the mall would probably be filled with a mob of people by now. “Okay, so the line makes sense. My next question is, why are _we_ on a line outside the music store?”

Benny clears his throat. “Right. Built to Spill was one of my dad’s favorite bands when he was our age. He used to listen to them a lot and even went to some concerts. And I just thought it would be nice if for his birthday I could get him something from their lead singer since he can’t do it himself.”

“_Oh_.” Ethan repeats as he starts to understand the past hour of his life. “So that’s why you wanted to rush over here early. Why didn’t you just say that before? I would have complained about coming here way less.”

“No, you would have still complained about it. But that’s only part of the reason.” Benny says just as the line starts moving. They both look up. The doors to the store are open and the line starts filing in.

Benny’s suddenly bouncing on the balls of his feet from excitement, nervousness, giddiness, and probably many other things. His excitement grows the closer they get to the entrance of the store, and Ethan has to fight the smile that wants to form at seeing the enthusiasm basically radiating from Benny. It reminds Ethan of how Drax gets every time Benny comes home from school, and Ethan is positive if Benny had a tail, it would be wagging at an incredibly fast speed.

Within minutes they’re at the entrance to the store. One of the staff members hands Benny and Ethan a blue colored vinyl that has a picture of a girl facing backwards with leaves on her shoulders. The words _Keep It Like A Secret_ are written under the bands name. Ethan has never seen this album ever in his life, but receiving the album only seems to fuel Benny’s already high excitement as he’s visibly vibrating.

Finally, they turn the corner into the store. Ethan spots a man with a beard sitting off to the side behind a table. He doesn’t recognize him, by judging by the line ending at the table (and the way Benny’s eyes light up) he guesses the man is the lead singer for Built to Spill.

“That’s him sitting right there.” Benny says, confirming Ethan’s suspicions. “Doug Martsch. My dad would go _insane_ if he were here right now. Do you think I could get away with sneaking a picture of him when nobody’s looking?”

“No cellphones, photographs, or videos around Mr. Martsch.” A security guard yells as he passes their spot in line.

Benny pouts, putting his phone back in his pocket (when did he even take it out?). “So strict.” He mutters. Ethan pats his shoulder in a sad form of comfort.

It doesn’t take long before they’re approaching Doug Martsch. He looks up at Ethan and Benny and gives them a warm smile. “Hi. Who should I make this out to?” He takes the vinyl from Benny who’s on the verge of bursting and throwing up.

“Uhh.” Benny stares blankly at Doug, his mouth failing to produce words (and his brain failing to create words). Ethan elbows him in the ribs and Benny blinks out of it, shaking his head. “Uhh, if you could make it out to Stephen Weir, that would be great.” He then proceeds to spell out his dad’s first and last name in a manner that’s both awkward and incredibly cute.

Doug nods as he writes the name on the front of the album with a Sharpie. He scribbles his own autograph before handing it to Benny. “Here you go. Thanks for all the support.” He smiles again and Benny looks like he’s going to pass out. He keeps his composure though (and is doing a damn good job of it too Ethan thinks).

Ethan gets his own vinyl signed, and the two thank the musician before turning and leaving the store. Benny waits until they’re a safe distance away from the music store before he starts freaking out. “I can’t believe I actually got an autographed vinyl from _the_ Doug Martsch! Do you know how valuable this thing is Ethan? There are people who would pay good money for something like this. Some people would give their life for it too.”

“You did not wake me up and drag me to the mall just for you to sell that to someone else.”

“Me? Sell it? Are you crazy? I waited my entire life for something like this. And besides, I finally have the perfect gift for my dad, something that’s meaningful and shows how much I was thinking of him. No way I’d give that up.”

“I didn’t realize this band meant so much to you. Or your dad I guess.” Ethan says as they pass a bubble tea kiosk. “I’ve never heard you talk about them before.”

Benny takes a minute before he responds. “I mainly like them because of how much my dad likes them. He used to play their music all the time when I was a kid, so much that I think I have their entire _Perfect from Now On_ album committed to memory.” He chuckles as he rubs a hand behind his neck. “Most of my music taste stems from music and artist my dad introduced me to when I was younger. We used to spend afternoons driving around with no set destination just so we could listen to anything from AC/DC to Tupac to Christina Aguilera. Those are some of my favorite memories actually.” He mumbles the last part, but Ethan still hears him. “I guess music is one of the most important parts of my relationship with my dad. It’s what we bonded over the must growing up.”

“Wow.” Ethan says, completely at a loss for words. “I didn’t know any of that.”

“That’s because I don’t talk about it much.” Benny shrugs. “It always felt like something special for just me and him, y’know?”

Ethan nods. “Yeah, I know. I think it’s great you have a special bond like that with your dad.” Ethan’s not sure how to respond to any of what Benny said. He’s at a loss for words at how open and willing Benny is to talk about his dad, a topic that’s usually taboo. He’s tried to get Benny to talk about his dad before, but it only ever resulted in Benny completely breaking down and shutting everyone out for days at a time. The last time Ethan tried making Benny talk about his dad was in sixth grade, right after he started living in Japan for months at a time. Benny didn’t talk to Ethan for a week after that.

Needless to say, Ethan learned his lesson after that. So it shocks him that Benny’s actually sharing something intimate about his dad, something he normally would never talk about. It warms Ethan up on the inside knowing that Benny is comfortable enough with Ethan to talk about this.

Ethan grabs Benny’s hand, a movement that shocks both of them. Benny looks at their joined hands and looks back at Ethan wide eyed. Ethan just smiles. “Thanks for sharing that with me. I know how tough it is for you to talk about it, so I really appreciate that you feel comfortable enough to share that with me.”

Benny has a look on his face that Ethan can’t decipher, something in his eyes that twinkles at Ethan’s words. He caresses the back of Benny’s knuckles with his thumb before abruptly letting go as he remembers where they are. The two continue walking, their pace slow and their eyes staring at everything but each other. Ethan doesn’t understand why he suddenly can’t make eye contact with his boyfriend, especially since they passed the awkward stage of their relationship within the first two weeks of them dating. But something about the intensity behind Benny’s eyes just makes him incredibly flustered and shy all of a sudden.

It takes a minute before Ethan starts speaking again. “So, we got the special vinyl record and got it signed. What now?”

“I actually planned on getting a bunch of vinyl’s, mainly from artist that my dad really likes or that we used to listen to all the time. Not sure how many I want to get yet, but I have a vague idea of the most important ones.”

Ethan stops in his tracks. “You want to get more vinyl’s? Like besides the one we already have.”

“Yeah. Why, does that sound like a bad idea?”

“No, it sounds like a great idea. I think your dad would love that.” Ethan starts. “But if we need more vinyl’s, why exactly did we leave the music store?”

“Well that’s because—” Benny falters as realization hits him. “_Shit_, we weren’t supposed to leave!” He grabs Ethan’s wrist and drags him back to the music store, ignoring Ethan’s chuckles behind him.

* * *

“I don’t know about you,” Benny says a couple hours later as they maneuver through bodies of shoppers, “but I’m starving. I could really go for some taco’s right now. Or maybe a bacon cheeseburger.”

“Seriously?” Ethan snorts. “You’re hungry again? Didn’t we just have something to eat?”

“That was almost three hours ago E. My body’s had time to completely process and digest our breakfast. Don’t you know how fast my metabolism works.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard you say it a thousand times._ I may be a skinny white boy, but I have the appetite of an entire frat house put together, and if I don’t eat regularly I’ll revert to savagery_.” Ethan does his best impression of Benny, repeating the words he’s heard his boyfriend say multiple times.

Benny huffs. “I do not sound like that.”

“Oh, but you do.” Ethan snickers.

“Well it’s true. I’m incredibly ravenous right now, and if I don’t eat something soon you’re going to see a side of me that’s not very pretty. And you won’t be able to hold me accountable for my actions.”

“I’ve already seen that side of you. It’s no scarier than an angry kitten.” Benny scoffs at that, and Ethan snickers. “But fine you big baby. We can stop at the food court and feed the ravenous monster living inside of you.”

They make their way to the food court all the way on the lower level of the mall. The mall in itself is notably fuller than it was when they first got here. Benny sticks closer to Ethan than he did before, especially when they’re on the crowded escalator. He focuses on his breathing as the escalator goes down, trying his best to not focus on the bodies pressing in close in front of and behind him. He only calms down when he feels Ethan’s hand open his tightly closed fist (he wasn’t aware he was even making a fist) and their fingers interlock. They’re standing close enough that nobody would be able to see their joined hands, but Benny can’t think about that. He can only focus on how Ethan’s hand in his really grounds him and reminds him he’s not alone in the crowd. Ethan is there and isn’t going to leave him to suffocate by the many bodies surrounding him.

They finally get to the food court. The lower level is crowded and noisy and smells like McDonald’s threw up on a funnel cake, but it’s not as overwhelming as the rest of the mall. Probably because the food court is more spacious, and people aren’t packed in like sardines.

“Alright, we’re here.” Ethan says. “What do you want to eat Mr. Hungry-pants?”

Benny blushes but gives Ethan an unimpressed look. “Tee-hee. I’m not sure. I kind of wanted taco’s but not really in the mood for Chipotle today. Chick-fil-A usually has decent food but last time I ate there the fries were stale. I could maybe go for some pizza, but the line for pizza is way too long and the pizza here isn’t that great to be honest—”

“How about Five Guys?” Ethan interrupts. “You said you wanted a bacon cheeseburger, and now that I think about it I kind of want one too.”

“Ah _ha_! You are hungry! You see how that fast metabolism can sneak up on you when you’re not expecting it?”

Ethan rolls his eyes. “Just shut up and come on.”

The two walk over to the Five Guys line which is relatively short compared to the other restaurants surrounding them. They both order bacon cheeseburgers, Ethan getting his with jalapeño’s and Benny getting grilled mushrooms, and fries to share. He takes out his wallet to pay for the food but Benny puts a hand in front of him. “I got this one Ethan.” He hands the cashier the money and she gives him a receipt before Ethan can protest.

“You didn’t have to do that you know.” Ethan says as they wait for their order to be ready.

“I know.” Benny shrugs. “But I wanted to.” Ethan opens his mouth to argue. “It’s already done Ethan. I wanted to pay for our meal, so I did. Besides, you can always get the next one.” Benny smirks.

The find a quiet booth to sit at once they have their food. It’s the only area not completely surrounded by obnoxious people they can find. They unwrap their burgers, both of their stomachs grumbling as the smell wafts into their nostrils. They take a bite at the same time, equally satisfied moans escaping them as the burger and melted cheese combo explodes in their mouths.

“_Mmh_, so good.” Ethan says around a mouthful.

“I know. I’m so happy you picked Five Guys. Their burgers are undefeated.”

“That is completely debatable.”

“Oh really? What other burger joint makes better burgers than Five Guys Ethan? Please tell me.”

“There’s Shake Shack, Uniburger, Rudy’s, Jack in the Box, Sonic, In-N-Out—”

“Hang on, you did _not_ just say In-N-Out has better burgers than Five Guys.”

“I think I did actually.”

“I can’t believe my boyfriend can think something so controversial and so utterly _wrong_. What about In-N-Out Burger is better than Five Guys Ethan?”

“For one their burgers are thicker, their patties are juicier and fresher. They have a wider range of condiments and add on’s, and the service is ultimately better than Five Guys.” Ethan takes another bite of his food. “The only think Five Guys has over In-N-Out is their fries honestly. But burger wise there’s really no comparison.”

“There’s no way I’m dating someone who could really think that about the glorious Five Guys.” Benny says with mock astonishment. “You must be one of those government spies we’ve been warned about.”

Ethan rolls his eyes as he chuckles. “Oh please.”

Benny watches as Ethan bites into his sandwich, a slice of jalapeño falling out of the burger. “I also can’t believe you can really eat jalapeño’s without even sweating.”

“It’s not even that spicy. It just adds more flavor to the burger.”

“I’m sure it does.”

“Do you want to try one?”

“No thanks E.” Benny shakes his head. “I actually like having taste buds. Do you want to try one of my mushrooms?” Benny arches an eyebrow, already knowing Ethan’s answer.

The raven haired boy has to fit a gag at the offer. “No thanks. My stomach would rather not experience trauma today.”

Benny nods with satisfaction. “Yup. That’s what I thought.”

* * *

“Benny look.” Ethan exclaims. “Zumiez is having a sale on all Vans. We should go in, see what they have left.”

“Ethan you have enough Vans.” Benny says slowly, like he’s talking to a kid begging for candy. “You have more Vans than anyone I know. The last thing you need is another pair when you have some you haven’t even worn yet.”

“I’ve been saving them for a special occasion.” Ethan mutters as he pouts. “But I don’t have to buy anything. We can just look around and see what they have. Window shopping, that’s what my mom calls it.”

Benny looks at Ethan unconvinced. Ethan is obsessed with Vans, more than anyone else. He has enough pairs to last him for the rest of his life, probably even more than that. He says they can just look at the shoes, but Benny knows Ethan. He won’t be able to resist the urge to buy a pair if he sees one he really likes. He’ll pout and whine and plead until he buys it. It happens every time they’re within a ten foot radius of a pair.

“We can also take a look at the skateboards they have.” Ethan adds on, giving Benny a knowing look.

Damn. He really knows how to get Benny to agree.

“_Fine_.” Benny gives in. “But we’re just looking. We’re not wasting anymore money on things we don’t really need.” Ethan cracks a smile that should break his cheekbones as he pulls Benny in the direction of Zumiez.

* * *

“Just looking, huh?” Ethan mocks as the two leave Zumiez, shopping bags in their hands and matching looks a happiness and disappointment (in themselves and each other) on their faces.

“They had an entire collection of Star Wars skateboard skins Ethan!” Benny exclaims. “A _whole_ collection! Anakin, Luke, Chewie, R2D2, Baby Yoda. How was I supposed to just leave that behind?”

“The same way I was just supposed to leave the Vans I saw.” Ethan says pointedly, though the smile hasn’t left his face yet.

Benny slumps. “Next time we come here we’re not stepping foot in Zumiez. We’re not evening going anywhere near Zumiez. I don’t care how much you beg or plead, or what sale they might be having. Every time we go there we waste money on things that aren’t necessary and feel guilty about it afterwards. I’m putting a stop to it now E. Mark my words.”

“Whatever you say.” Ethan chuckles, knowing full well that neither one of them will be able to resist the call of Zumiez when the time comes. They’ve tried before, and it never works. It would be easier to accept that Ethan’s obsession with Van’s and Benny’s obsession with anything about skateboards will trump any responsible spending decisions they might have.

It happens every time anyway.

“Hey, how do you feel about a photobooth?” Benny says just as they’re passing the photobooth set up between Zumiez and Claire’s. A couple of kids who can’t be older than thirteen come out of it and pass them, laughing at the photo strips in their hands.

“You really want to do a photobooth?” Ethan asks skeptically.

“Yeah, why not? It’ll be fun.”

Ethan hesitates. “I don’t know…” He’s not the best at being in front of a camera. He becomes incredibly awkward when a camera is pointed at him, and on top of that he doesn’t find himself very photogenic. He generally tries to avoid being in pictures as much as possible to avoid the discomfort, awkwardness, and embarrassment.

Benny must realize the inward battle and bought of insecurity Ethan’s having because he pulls Ethan towards the booth as he speaks. “Come on E. It will just be you and me. You can be as natural as possible and do whatever makes you comfortable, okay?”

“Okay.” Ethan says before they enter the booth. He’s right. It’s just him and Benny in here. Out of everyone he knows, he feels the most comfortable around Benny, like he can be himself without being judged or feeling awkward about it. Taking pictures with Benny should be no different than when they’re hanging out normally.

Benny inserts a dollar into the booth and chooses an incredibly colorful background. “Let’s take a normal one first, yeah?”

Ethan nods, turning to face the camera in front of him. He and Benny both smile as the screen display does a countdown before taking the picture. He feels awkward just smiling and waiting for the picture to be taken, but he’s with Benny who has an encouraging hand on his knee, so he guesses it’s not so bad. Stars dance in Ethan’s eyes from the flash of the picture being taken but he shakes it off quickly because they have six seconds until the next picture.

“Okay, let’s do a weird funny face next.” Benny proceeds to make a pig nose, and Ethan crosses his eyes and pulls his ears right before the flash comes.

“Quick, pretend like I’m attacking you or something.” Benny nods, shrinking down and pretending to be terrified as Ethan does his best impression of trying to eat Benny alive.

“Ooh! How about Charlies Angel’s!” Ethan says after the camera flashes. He and Benny turn so they’re back to back, and hold finger guns in front of them. They give their best serious expressions as the camera takes the picture. Ethan laughs. He can’t help but feel ridiculous doing all the poses, but some how doing them with Benny makes the whole thing much more enjoyable than it normally would be. He can’t believe how much fun he’s having by just taking wacky pictures. He can’t believe how much fun he’s had all day actually.

And to think he almost missed out by sleeping in.

Benny is giving Ethan an unreadable look as he laughs. “What?” Ethan says between giggles.

Benny doesn’t answer him. He instead leans forward and kisses Ethan, surprising the smaller teen upon impact. Ethan’s fingers card their way through Benny’s hair as the final picture is taken, but he doesn’t focus on that as Benny pours himself into the kiss like it’s quenching his thirsty.

Benny is the one that pulls away just as the pictures are being printed. He grabs the two strips, handing one to Ethan. “These are really priceless.”

“They are.” Ethan chuckles. “Why are you making a Zoolander face in the fourth picture?”

Benny giggles. “I dunno, I thought it would make me look more like a Charlie’s Angel.”

“You look like you want to build a school for ants.”

“And you look like the monkey from ‘Madagascar’ here.” Benny points to the picture where they did funny faces.

Ethan can’t help but laugh. “Dear God I _do_. But you on the other hand look like Gloria.”

“Fuck you.” Benny doubles over laughing, no actual bite behind the words. The two boys spend another few minutes laughing at the pictures and lightly teasing each other before a knock is heard from outside the booth and they’re being told to “move it or lose it!”.

Ethan can’t help but steal a quick kiss before exiting the booth.

* * *

“You know what? I had a lot of fun today.” Ethan admits as he and Benny sit at the bus stop munching on fresh churros. Despite what he told Jane this morning, he still bought one for because he knows she’ll complain if he doesn’t (and he always brings her food when he goes out. He’s a good older brother). “I didn’t really know what to expect when you woke me up this morning, but this whole day has really been something else. In a good way of course.”

“Yeah?” Benny smirks. “I had fun too. Honestly today would have been really boring if I didn’t ask you to come with me. I also would have been home four hours ago but where’s the fun in that?”

“Heh, yeah.” Ethan nudges Benny with his shoulder. “I’m glad you asked me to come with you.”

“I’m glad you agreed to come.” Benny purses his lips and fidgets with his jacket sleeve, clear signs that he’s hesitant about saying something. “I probably wouldn’t have made it out of there in one peace if you weren’t with me. You know, since I don’t do well when I’m by myself in crowds. That’s part of the reason why I wanted you to come.”

“Oh.” Ethan says, suddenly understanding everything and feeling incredibly stupid for not realizing it before. Of course Benny wanted Ethan to come with him to the mall, a place that’s notorious for being crowded and stuffy and overwhelming. _Of course_ Benny would want company going there when he suffers from agoraphobia and enochlophobia. He _never_ goes to the mall by himself for the simple fact that he could have an anxiety attack so bad he could be hospitalized. It’s happened before.

How could Ethan be so incredibly stupid?

He doesn’t know where Benny’s fear stems from, just that he’s had this fear his entire life. He’s okay in familiar crowds (school, etc) or if he’s in a crowd with people he knows. But if he’s left alone in a crowd of people for too long with no way of escaping or finding his way around, or if he just feels trapped, he’ll start freaking out. Badly.

“Well I’m stupid.” Ethan says, to which Benny looks at him in shock. “Here I was complaining about you interrupting my sleep when you really needed me to be with you today. Why didn’t you just remind me of that babe? You know I’d go anywhere you need me to go.”

Benny just shrugs. “I dunno. I just…” He groans. “It’s just embarrassing. I’m sixteen and I can’t function in the freaking mall without an escort. I shouldn’t need a babysitter for something like this, but I have this irrational fear of being in crowds and I don’t know what to do about it or how to fix it.” He looks down at his fingers in his lap, wanting nothing more than for the ground to swallow him up and put him out of his misery.

“Having a fear isn’t embarrassing Benny.” Ethan using his finger to pull Benny’s chin up so they’re eye to eye. “Doesn’t matter how ‘irrational’ you might think it is.” Ethan puts air quotes around “irrational”. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone has a fear, some worse than others, but there’s nothing embarrassing about it. It’s part of what makes us human. Besides, you’re talking to someone who’s afraid of heights and Pennywise. It think that’s far more embarrassing.”

“That’s different.” Benny mumbles. “You have a traumatic experience linked to both. I have no idea why I’m so afraid of crowds.”

“That’s completely normal and okay too. Not everyone knows why they’re afraid of something. I think most fears are irrational anyway.” Ethan reassures, grabbing Benny’s hand that’s not currently holding a churro. They’ve been doing a lot of public hand holding today. More than normal. Neither boy complains. “You don’t need to feel ashamed about your phobia Benny. Especially not with me. You don’t have to feel ashamed about anything with me. Okay?”

Benny nods, letting Ethan’s words sink in. “Okay.” His eyes bore into Ethan’s brown orbs, seeing the compassion and sincerity in them, seeing how much his boyfriend really cares about him. Staring into those eyes, Benny feels a sense of security he doesn’t feel with anyone else. He feels safe with Ethan, like the world could fall on top of him but he wouldn’t be scared because he has Ethan.

He wants to hold on to that feeling for as long as he can.

He wants to kiss Ethan so badly, just like how he’s wanted to kiss Ethan all day. So many times throughout the day he’s wanted to say “fuck it”, through caution to the wind, and show a public display of affection to his boyfriend. So many times he’s wanted to give in and not care about anyone around them. Because why should he care? Why should he care about who sees or who judges? Let them see. And let them judge. He should be free to kiss his boyfriend, and hold his hand, and be as close to him as possible whenever he wants to, shouldn’t he?

Benny really wants to kiss Ethan.

He almost kisses Ethan.

But just as he’s about to lean in, their bus arrives, doors opening right in front of them. Ethan breathes, standing up first. “You ready to go?” He turns to Benny.

Benny sighs, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans (when did they even get sweaty?). “Yeah.” He tries his best not to look disappointed that he missed his chance at being brave, his one chance at letting go and showing the world how much Ethan means to him. He wants to kick himself for letting it take so long and for being so hesitant, but instead follows Ethan on the bus. _Maybe some other time. Yeah, maybe some other time_.

He never gets to see Ethan’s equally disappointed look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I intend to write something short, it turns into 20 pages. Why am I like this?
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this one. It's supposed to be fluffy and cute. Hope that came across well.
> 
> Also as of today my handle will be changing from 'theblackagenda' to 'AttackOfTheBourgeoisie', so you will be getting updates from that from now on.
> 
> I also have a twitter account now if any of you would like to follow which is @ attack_bourgie. If anyone wants to connect there, or if anyone has any prompts or questions feel free to contact me there (I know most people use Tumblr but I have no idea how to use that).
> 
> Anyway, stay safe everyone!
> 
> -Bourgeoisie


	13. True Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter piggybacks off the last one.

The FaceTime call rings on Benny’s laptop a few times, making him more and more anxious with each ring, before the call is finally answered. Benny’s breath hitches as his dad’s face fills the screen of his MacBook.

The warmest of smiles spreads over his dad’s face as he speaks. “Hey son.”

The anxiety Benny was feeling before melts away upon finally seeing his dad and hearing his dad’s voice. He can’t explain why, but something about hearing the smooth evenness of his dad’s voice provides him with a calm he hasn’t felt since he was younger. The feeling is almost nostalgic.

Benny returns the smile. “Hey dad. Happy Birthday.”

“Technically it’s not my birthday yet in Canada, so you’re a bit early.”

“Yeah, but it’s already your birthday where you are, so we’re going to celebrate now and you’re going to like it.”

His dad just chuckles. “Hey, you got me there. And you’re officially the first person to wish me happy birthday today, so thanks for that.”

“Neat.” Benny beams. “Does that officially make me the best son in the world?”

“You’ve always been the best son in the world. But I guess this reconfirms that fact.”

Benny smiles. “Great. So, got anything fun planned for your special day? Night on the town maybe, or maybe even a party?”

“Eh, not really. I have to head to the office later to get some work done. I’ve got a couple important deadlines that I need my immediate attention, and if I’m late on them I’ll be in trouble with some really important people. But maybe a few colleagues and I will go out to dinner tonight or catch a show or movie.”

“Work on your birthday?” Benny gasps. “That’s definitely no way to celebrate. I’m very disappointed in your life choices today dad.”

“Yeah Benny, I’m disappointed too. But sometimes being an adult means having to work on your birthday, as unfair as that may seem. Just like how you still have to go to school on your birthday.”

Benny thinks about this. “I see your point. But promise me you won’t overwork yourself today, and you’ll actually find time to do something fun and to celebrate. You deserve to do something fun on your birthday, even if you’re busy with adult things. And you deserve to at least have some cake.” Benny adds as an afterthought.

“You got it kiddo.” His dad nods. “I’ll be sure to make time for fun and cake, only if you promise not to stay up all night playing video games.”

Benny’s eyes widen in shock. “Wha—, who told you about that? Was it grandma?”

“No, you did. Just now.” Benny pouts. “What, you think I don’t know how much time you spend playing online games on the weekends? You’re my son. Of course I know these things. I’m insulted that you would think so lowly of me.”

“Point taken, but in my defense I deserve to indulge in some mindless games when I have free time. Junior year is _killer _dad! These teachers keep piling on work and tests and projects and SAT prep, and just when I think I have a break, I have to write a term paper. I’ve been so stressed this year dad. I even found a gray hair the other day, see?” He leans closer to the camera running his hand through his hair to further prove his point.

“You are not allowed to get gray hairs before me. But I understand where you are coming from. Junior years is always the most stressful out of all of high school. And I agree, you definitely need a break from all the work you have been doing. Or some kind of reward perhaps?”

Benny doesn’t pick up on the hint his dad is giving. “Honestly I think a good night’s sleep would be reward enough.”

“Only sleep, huh?” His dad looks up thoughtfully. “Well that’s just too bad. I guess I’ll have to let someone else drive the Audi around while I’m away. You think your friend Rory might want to take it for a spin?”

“Rory once ran his bike into a McDonald’s, I don’t think he can be trusted with—” Benny’s eyes nearly pop out of their socket when his dad’s words finally register. “Hang on, did I hear you correctly? You want _me__—_” he points to himself, “to drive the Audi? The _brand new_ Audi RS Q8? Are you being serious right now dad or is this some elaborate prank you’re pulling because you’re bored or something?”

His dad has an amused smile on his face as he watches Benny completely freak out. “I’m not pranking you kiddo. I put a lot of thought into this decision and have spoken with your grandmother to get her opinion on it as well. You’ve been working hard this year, keeping your grades up in school, staying out of trouble, and helping out around the house as far as I’ve heard. I think you have more than proved you can handle the responsibility of having a car.”

The chortle Benny lets out is mixed with shock and excitement all at once. “You’re kidding me right now. You’re giving me the Audi dad? But, like, I—” he’s having a hard time piecing words together, but who can blame him? His dad is letting him have the brand spanking new Audi!

“Lending, not giving.” His dad corrects. “The car is still under my name, but you’ll be added to the insurance and registration, so you will be able to drive it without any complications. But anyway, I think you’ve earned it. You’ve always been a good kid, even when things got hard for all of us.” His dad gives him a fond smile. “And I’m proud of you. Of course you need to pass your drivers test before you start driving anywhere.”

“Oh. Uh, ye-yeah, totally.” Benny splutters, still too in shock to really process what’s happening. Or to formulate words really.

“No driving late at night, especially on school nights.” His dad continues, Benny nodding in agreement (he would agree to anything at this point). “And under no circumstances are you allowed to drink and drive.”

“Yeah dad, of course. I would never do something like that. I don’t even drink.”

His dad gives him a knowing look. “Right, so you mean to tell me you didn’t drink at that Halloween party you went to?”

Benny’s left spluttering again. “Okay, I only drank a little bit because I was playing beer pong. And it was just beer, nothing too serious. But I was responsible about it and didn’t let myself get drunk. I wasn’t even really tipsy. _And_ I didn’t drive afterwards. Look at that, I’m already following the rules.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

“Man.” Benny leans back. “I can’t believe this. I get to drive a freaking _Audi_. Everyone else is stuck driving Honda’s and Nissans. I’m going to be the luckiest kid at Whitechapel High.” Benny has a dreamy expression on his face as a fantasy of himself driving into the parking lot of school pops into his mind, with students staring at him in awe as he comes out of the car. “Wait, I’m not the one that’s supposed to get gifts today. You are. It’s your birthday.”

His dad waves it off. “Consider it as a really early birthday gift.”

“My birthday’s in May. You’re four months ahead of schedule.”

“I know I know. But I wanted you to have the car once you have your license. Like I said, you’ve been working extremely hard this year, and all the previous years. No harm in giving you an early birthday present, right? Unless you want to wait until May to start driving the car, which is fine by me.”

“No, no, no!” Benny quickly says. “I’m perfectly fine with driving now, thank you very much.”

“That’s what I thought.” His dad chuckles. “I’m sure you’re dying to show it off to your friends and all the kids at school. And maybe also a special someone…” he hints with a raised eyebrow.

Benny’s face slightly falls, his heart rate picking up. His immediate thought is a panicked _how could he possibly know?_ But he forces himself to calm down. All his dad said was “special someone”. He never mentioned Ethan’s name, nor did he mention the special someone being a boy. There’s also no actual way his dad could know that Ethan is his boyfriend. His dad probably assumes any special someone in Benny’s life is a girl anyway.

For a split second, Benny considers telling his dad. If there’s anyone who deserves to know about this part of Benny’s life, it would be his dad. And now would be the perfect time since they’re on the topic anyway.

The words are on the tip of his tongue, but instead, Benny coughs. “Uhh, hey, you received the package I sent you, right?”

“Oh, right!” His dad bends down and holds an unopened box to the camera. “It came last night. Right on time for today if you ask me. And I didn’t open it yet like you requested.”

“Great, because I want to see your face when you do finally open it.” Benny says. “Also that’s only part of the gift. There’s another part to it, but that you’ll have to get when you come back home. It’s going to take some time before it’s done anyway. You are still coming home before my birthday, right?”

“You bet I am. I wouldn’t miss it for the world kiddo.”

Benny let’s out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Okay good. Now go ahead and open your gift! You’re going to love it I promise.”

“If you say so.” Benny watches as his dad grabs a pair of scissors and cuts the box open. Benny’s holding his breath again as his dad removes some of the packaging from inside the box. He fights the urge to bite his nails knowing that his dad will reprimand him for doing so (because some things never get old). Finally, his dad chuckles. “Oh wow. This is great Benny.” He smiles as he pulls out the vinyl records Benny sent for him, all albums from artist they used to listen to when he was younger, varying from My Chemical Romance, to Tupac, to Nirvana, to Aaliyah.

“Do you like it?” Benny asks nervously, suddenly feeling shy.

“Of course! I love it.” His dad looks up at the camera with a big smile (bigger than Benny has ever seen it) before sifting through the vinyl’s. “You really managed to find all of my— _our_ favorite albums.” He holds up the album cover for _A Night at the Opera_. “Remember when you first heard _Bohemian Rhapsody_ and you made me play it on repeat at least ten times?”

“That was your fault for introducing me to such a masterpiece at six years old. How could I only listen to it once? I sang that song at school so many times my teachers had to ban it!”

“Ha! I remember that. You were so upset that day.”

“And I had every right to be. What kind of person bans one of the greatest songs to have ever been written by man?”

“You’re right Benny. That was definitely cruel and an act of treason.” His dad smiles as he continues to sift through the various albums. Benny tried to include as many albums as could fit in the box but was only album to send fifteen (including the Built to Spill album). He wanted to send more, but he guesses he can always get more for his dad when he finally comes home. As his dad goes through the albums he holds them up one by one, talking and laughing at memories the two have from over the years. Each memory brings a smile to Benny’s face, warming him in a way he hasn’t felt in a long time.

“Remember when I first let you listen to this album?” He holds up the album _Get Rich or Die Tryin’_. “And you started rapping the lyrics to _Candy Shop_ at my cousins wedding.”

“Yikes.” Benny cringes. “I’ve been trying to forget that one, thank you very much. Ten year old me should not have been allowed to have the microphone for that long. Or take that one sip of champagne.”

“You’re the only kid I’ve ever met who is affected by a sip of watered down champagne. I’m scared to see what will happen when you drink something much stronger.” His dad looks at him pointedly. “Plus what was worse? The _Candy Shop _incident or the time you started breakdancing to _Sweet Caroline_?”

Benny thinks about it. “Hmm. Although I’m a terrible dancer and the _Sweet Caroline_ incident was truly tragic, I’m going to say neither. I think the time I performed Daughtry’s _It’s Not Over_ at that talent show in third grade takes the prize for Benny’s most embarrassing moments of all time.”

“Really? Your grandmother loved that performance.”

“She also loved the spaghetti necklace I made for her when I was five. She loves anything that comes from me dad.”

“Fair enough. But if it makes you feel better I also loved that performance. You had quite the stage presence back then.”

“You also love anything I do, so that doesn’t really count either.”

“Not true. I don’t love your secret lasagna.”

“Well that’s your fault for letting me use the kitchen unsupervised when I was twelve.” Benny crosses his arms. “And my lasagna isn’t that bad anymore. I actually know how to cook now.”

“I guess I’ll have to find out for myself, huh?”

Benny sighs. “Yeah. But I promise you’ll actually like it. Even my friend Erica likes my lasagna and she hates everything. But anyway, keep looking through the vinyls. There’s one more I really want you to see. I think you’re going to like it.” Benny sits forward anxiously, as if that’s going to make him see his dad’s reaction to the Built to Spill album any better.

His dad nods, looking through the final few albums before pausing with his eyebrows raised. “_Woah_!” He gasps as he holds up the blue album to the camera. “You got the _best_ Built to Spill album?” Benny nods, grinning broadly. “I can’t believe it! How did you manage to get your hands on this? I haven’t found it anywhere.”

“I have my ways.” Benny says a little too cockily. “But look at the cover. That’s the real surprise.”

His dad flips the album over to read the cover before gasping. “You got it _signed _too? By Doug Martsch? Benny, wha— how—”

“Like I said, I have my ways.”

His dad doesn’t seem to hear him, still mesmerized by probably the best birthday gift he’s ever received. The smile on his face is big but genuine, and Benny almost thinks his eyes are watering up, which is strange because Benny has never seen his dad cry nor has he ever seen his dad become emotional. And oddly enough, Benny’s starting to feel emotional as well. He had been upset when his dad said he wouldn’t be home for his birthday. They usually celebrate it as a family every year, Benny, his dad, and grandma. It’s one of the only times they all get to be together since his dad is in Japan during every other holiday, and Benny looks forward to it every year. It’s one of the only times he gets to forget how much it hurts to not have his dad around. It’s one of the only times he gets to feel like nothing has changed.

“Well,” Benny says after a while, “do you like it?”

“I love it buddy.” The smile hasn’t left his dad’s face, and Benny smiles too. “You’ve really outdone yourself this year. This has already made my birthday feel special.”

“Yeah, I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I got you the perfect gift didn’t I? Definitely beats socks and ties.”

“I don’t mean the gift Benny.” Benny stares at the computer screen curiously. “I meant _this_.” His dad gestures between himself and Benny. “You and me talking and spending a little time together even though I can’t be with you right now. That’s all I cared about Benny. Being able to spend some time with my kid like we’re doing right now. And, yeah the gift is amazing, and probably one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten,” Benny tries not to look too smug at that comment, “but honestly the best gift I could ever ask for is sharing this day with you. That’s what’s most important to me.

“I know how hard it’s been with me being away so often. And I know how important things like this is to you. It’s important to me too.” His dad pauses to clear his throat. “But sitting here and talking to you has made me happier than ever. So thank you for doing this.”

Benny nods as he gives his dad a water smile. “You’re welcome dad. Doing this makes me happy too.”

“I’m glad. And I really love the vinyls. I can’t wait to start listening to these later. But I have to head out to the office soon so I’m going to let you go.”

“Okay dad, yeah.” Benny blinks back the moisture in his eyes and sniffs. “No problem.”

“But text me in the morning when you wake up. I’ll see if we can video chat again.”

“You got it dad.” The chances of his dad being available to talk in the morning are pretty slim, but he gives his dad a reassuring smile anyway. “I really miss you being here.”

“I miss you too kiddo. More than you even know.”

“Have a good day today okay?”

“I will, I promise. I love you son.”

“Love you too dad.”

“Bye.” The call ends. Benny stares at his laptop screen, not really focusing on anything on the screen. Just staring. He tries to hold on to that warm feeling for as long as possible, though the longer he sits there staring at his desktop, the harder it gets to hold on to that feeling. He hasn’t felt a warmth like this in a long time. He grasps at the edges of it as it fades away, willing it to stay with him just for a little while longer.

It doesn’t. But he’s not surprised.

He wipes the tear that trickles down his cheek as he shuts his laptop and stands up, making his way to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the introduction of Benny's dad. The next chapter should be coming soon, so stay tuned for that.
> 
> I now have a twitter account where you can submit ideas, prompts, suggestions, or where we can just talk and be friends. The handle is @attack_bourgie.
> 
> -Bourgeoisie


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